Ciaron Maher has paid tribute to his Melbourne Cup-winning champion Gold Trip who has been retired to stud after a stellar career. The imported horse gave Maher arguably his biggest thrill on a racecourse, dominantly winning the 2022 Melbourne Cup, and the champion trainer says he will always cherish Gold Trip and his feats on the track. “This horse has just been remarkable. He delivered our first Melbourne Cup, and for that, he will always have a special place in my heart,” Maher said. “But his Turnbull Stakes win was arguably a better performance, given the field he beat that day.” Maher gave credit to Gold Trip’s owners, who had to bide their time to see their eventual Melbourne Cup winner grace the turf in Australia. “The ownership group deserved all the success given the patience they showed in his first 12 months in Australia, and I'm thrilled that we’ll get to see his progeny, given he’s such a beautiful horse,” Maher said.  Gold Trip was a winner of more than $7 milion in prizemoney during his 26-start racing career across Europe and Australia.

Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett said his admiration for Gold Trip as a racehorse and his anticipation about his future were key in the decision to retire the 2022 Melbourne Cup champion to stud. “We could have rehabbed him with his tendon and maybe got him back to the track, but we didn’t want him to become just another horse,” Lovett said of the French-bred Gold Trip. “He did our colors proud every time he stepped out. He’s done such an amazing job for us. A real banner horse that we will treasure forever. “He’s been a very good horse to everyone – a very special horse. “Now he now gets the opportunity to continue that success at stud. That is so exciting for the group as he’s got the looks, the style and the elite performance that could see him really make his mark there.” Lovett admitted going well beyond the normal spending limits for European imports when he teamed with trainer Ciaron Maher’s bloodstock expert Will Bourne to buy Gold Trip out of France for $2.3 million, “He just looked one out of the box in everything he’d done up to that stage and so we went for him and thankfully, got him,” he said. Not all went to plan however with Racing Victoria vets denying him a Cox Plate run in 2022 for his Australian debut as he was deemed to be lame. The following autumn, a foot abscess put him out again until the spring, where he would make his move and become a Melbourne Cup champion. Lovett said few stallions could boast such racetrack performances. “His CV is extraordinary,” he said. “He ran fourth in an Arc, is a G2 winner in France, won a Melbourne Cup, ran two placings in Caulfield Cups, arguably he could have won a Cox Plate when running fifth and he beat up Romantic Warrior (in the 2023 Turnbull Stakes). “He’s not a hard horse to send a broodmare to if you want to get a good racehorse. “He’s a beautiful style of horse with an incredible attitude – that’s what I like when I am mating my mares. He’s also got a set of lungs that I don’t think I’ve ever been involved with before.”  Lovett said that Gold Trip, who will stand for just $8800 at his first season in the spring at Lovatsville near Seymour, will get every opportunity to succeed at stud. “He’s got a very good ownership base that will send plenty of good mares to him,” he said. “I thought it was always imperative that we stood him down there (in Victoria), “He was sought-after by a few New Zealand farms, who were keen to get him, but, myself included, the ownership base would have been less inclined to send mares to New Zealand. “At my farm (in NSW), we breed 30 mares and I am happy to send them down. Obviously, I want to be able to support him and be art of the journey now for whatever happens in the future.”

Australian Bloodstock’s Melbourne Cup hero will command a fee of $8,800 in his first season at the Victorian farm

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Kris Lees and Australian Bloodstock form a formidable partnership that triumphed in the Listed Canberra Cup in 2020 with the import Mugatoo (IRE). The duo once again tasted success on Sunday when Almania (IRE) secured victory in the same prestigious race. Bred by Epsom Derby winner Australia, the progressive stayer Almania showcased his potential by surging past the competition to win by a convincing length and a half under jockey Dylan Gibbons.  Originally a 500,000 guineas purchase at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Almania was later acquired by Australian Bloodstock as a tried horse. With three wins and six placings from 21 starts, Almania shines bright as the best performer among four winners sired by Group III winner Sent from Heaven. Notably, Almania marks the 39th stakes-winner globally for Australia, the Epsom Derby champion and son of Galileo, who stands at Coolmore for a fee of €17,500 in 2024. Race Result - TAB Canberra Cup LR 2000m Canberra Track: Soft(5) Time: 2:02.61 1Almania - 8g Australia (GB) x Sent From Heaven (IRE) (Footstepsinthesand (GB)) Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 54 2 1.3 Redstone Well - 5g Cotai Glory (GB) x Pingin Rua (IRE) (Papal Bull (GB)) Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Tom Sherry 54 3 1.8 So United - 6g So You Think (NZ) x Maglissa (AUS) (Magnus (AUS)) Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 55.5 So You Think MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $190,000 Seller: Valiant Stud Aberdeen NSW Buyer: Blueblood Thoroughbreds (Aust) Pty Ltd 4 2.6 Lord Ardmore - 6g Reliable Man (GB) x Miss Outshine (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ)) Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: K Mc Evoy 54 5 4.7 Regal Lion - 5g Jakkalberry (IRE) x Red Delight (NZ) (Congrats (USA)) Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Tyler Schiller 54 6 8.5 Royal Robbins - 6g Shalaa (IRE) x Hat (USA) (Hat Trick (JPN)) Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: D R Beasley 54 7 9.1 El Lago - 5g El Roca (AUS) x Lakeside (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS)) Tnr: Pat Murphy Rdr: J Penza 54 8 12.5 One Aye - 6m Super One (AUS) x Flying First Class (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS)) Tnr: B Joseph & P & M Jones Rdr: A Adkins 54 https://www.breednet.com.au/news/28547/australian-bloodstock-win-canberra-cup