Kings horse chasing start in the 2025 Melbourne Cup field

Trainer Ciaron Maher is plotting a direct path into the Melbourne Cup, targeting a ballot exemption with a four-strong team at Flemington.

The crucial gateway is Saturday’s Bart Cummings (2500m), the final Flemington ‘win and you’re in’ lead-up to the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4, with the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22 and the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) two days later offering late entry chances.

Maher’s representatives—Berkshire Breeze, Interpretation, Sayedaty Sadaty and Gilded Water—will all be out to press their claims.

Gilded Water gained his spot courtesy of a Benchmark 84 victory over 2000m at Caulfield on September 20 and now seeks to advance his Cup case for King Charles III.

It will be the gelding’s third run this prep, and National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull says the platform is in place.

“He is third up at the trip, but he’s got a huge aerobic capacity,” Turnbull said.

“He’s done the work as he’s been in work a long time.”

Turnbull revealed the campaign kicked off with barrier education under Julien Welsh, designed to settle the horse’s nerves.

“He was really nervous, tense, so he did a lot of gate work before coming over to us,” Turnbull said.

“It was not about fitness then, but he was active for a while.”

“His main aim is the Melbourne Cup, so obviously Saturday is a win and you’re in, and if he does, it makes it a bit easier choosing the races we want from then on,” Turnbull said.

Even with Gilded Water considered the stable’s leading hope in the Bart Cummings, Turnbull expects meaningful showings from the rest.

Berkshire Breeze brings a tidy effort from the Naturalism Stakes (2000m), having chased home Half Yours at Caulfield.

“He’s on the up. We thought he was really good and it’s a good opportunity for him to get into the Cup,” Turnbull said.

Sayedaty Sadaty’s third in The Archer (2500m) came after leading at a crawl—tactics the stable won’t be repeating.

“They went very sedate, and it backfired on us,” Turnbull said.

“At the time you think it’s good, but he’s not a horse that you can rip up and do a ‘six home two’. He needs to build, so for him to be dynamic, it’s about timing and we had it too cute in front last time.”

As for Interpretation, the seasoned stayer continues to track well ahead of another Cup bid.

“He’s raced in three Melbourne Cups and he’s in similar condition to what he has been in in the last couple of years,” Turnbull said.

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