The Ciaron Maher-prepared Kings Valley has secured a ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup following a determined victory at Mornington.
Triumph in the Listed Mornington Cup on Saturday grants the victor a ‘Golden Ticket’ to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October.
The success on Saturday marked Maher’s second victory in the Mornington Cup, following Right You Are’s win in 2023, which later resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Caulfield Cup six months afterward.
Aboard Kings Valley ($6.50), ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, the horse prevailed by a head over Pounding ($10), with Suntora ($10) finishing a further 1-¼ lengths back in third.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for the Maher stable, indicated that the win on Saturday could prove to be a turning point for Kings Valley.
“He didn’t go about it as you would like,” Turnbull said.
“He was on and off the bridle, but he had an economical run and got the right splits when he needed to.
“We’ve been trying to get to 2400 metres, but he’s been a fierce horse to train and race, so we worked the horse down into the race today and it’s worked out really well.
“Credit to the horse as I think he will go to the next level over this trip because he’s not slow with good change up speed.”
Having locked in the ‘Golden Ticket’ for the Caulfield Cup, Turnbull noted that the stable would deliberate on the optimal path forward for Kings Valley toward the major event.
He mentioned uncertainty about whether Maher would pause activities or continue refining the stayer’s racing style.
“We always wanted to get to this stage before having to think about that,” Turnbull said.
“We are in a really good position now.”
After passing the post, Neindorf stood up in the stirrups and revealed that the success held greater significance for him than his pair of Group 1 triumphs back in South Australia.
“This might sound outrageous, but it probably means more to me winning one of these than any of my Group 1’s,” Neindorf said.
“Just for the simple fact when I first came over as an apprentice, I lived in Mornington and then when I went back (to Adelaide) I had to build myself from the ground up and it felt like I was trying to build a skyscraper.
“I’ve come back a second time and based myself in Mornington again and this is now more so home than home in Adelaide.
“It means a lot to win this Cup today.”
Betting fans can check the latest Australian betting sites for Caulfield Cup markets and secure the best odds on Kings Valley.
