Ciaron Maher became the first trainer in the Melbourne Cup's 165-year history to saddle the first three finishers in the prestigious race, with his horse Point Of Law claiming victory. The historic win was made more notable by the revelation that Maher's mother was instrumental in convincing King Charles to sell the horse, which was bred at the royal stud.
Point Of Law, ridden by jockey Ethan Brown, crossed the finish line ahead of Maher's other horses, Zahrann and Juja Kibo, which finished second and third respectively. Maher's stable secured a dominant performance, with five of the top six horses and six of the top ten finishers coming from his operation. This resulted in Maher's horses taking home $6.83 million of the $10.2 million prize pool.
The story behind the acquisition of Point Of Law involves a personal connection between Maher's mother, Eileen, and the British monarch. According to reports, Maher and his mother lunched with King Charles at Windsor Castle in June during the Royal Ascot carnival. It was during this meeting that an offer was made to purchase the three-year-old stallion, a son of the renowned racehorse Frankel.
While Maher typically works with bloodstock manager Will Bourne to acquire horses, it was his mother's direct engagement with the King and Queen Camilla that reportedly sealed the deal. Maher told Forbes that his mother had written to the royal couple expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work with their horses, leading to an invitation to lunch. "When I said I was going to be travelling with my mother, they said 'we would love to have your mother'," Maher recounted. "That was amazing. Mum's first time overseas and sitting up next to King Charles for lunch at Windsor Castle, I was like 'God'."
Following the lunch, and after Point Of Law placed fourth in the Queen's Vase, Maher increased his offer on behalf of a syndicate of owners, which includes notable figures like TV personality Bec Judd and her retired AFL player husband Chris Judd. Business leader Damien Degenhardt, also an owner, believes Maher's mother's influence was key to the sale. A non-disclosure agreement was part of the transaction, but industry estimates suggest the sale price was between $3 million and $4 million.
Point Of Law, who had only raced four times before the sale in August, arrived in Victoria shortly after the deal was finalized. Maher, who manages a large operation with approximately 400 horses across seven facilities, is set to continue his focus on the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including the upcoming Oaks Day.
The Melbourne Cup Day festivities also included entertainment from British singer Robbie Williams, who performed a concert after opening the event. Despite a grey start with morning showers, the weather cleared, and thousands of racegoers attended the event at Flemington Racecourse, with bright colors dominating the fashion trends.