Sessa the Duke and Nipotina is the bella of the ball on Saturday

There was some exceptional action on Saturday afternoon. The horse racing bookmakers will have been happy to see a roughie win the Caulfield Cup but although Duke De Sessa was $11 at SP, he was available at close to double that earlier in the week!

Duke De Sessa salutes in the Caulfield Cup

The return to 2400m always looked like it would suit Duke De Sessa. It helped that he was given a beautiful ride from Harry Coffey, keeping him tracking the leader through the early stages before allowing him to challenge at the ideal time and hold off the closing Buckaroo.

It was more than six lengths back to the third horse home Land Legend, the two tearing the race apart. It was a timely boost to the Via Sistina form in the Turnbull with both Duke De Sessa and Buckaroo behind her in that 2000m contest.

Ninth in this race in 2023, Duke De Sessa went to Flemington to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2600m where he was third. That was on the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup but surely he heads for the Tuesday contest this year.

12 horses have done the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double so far. Without A Fight last year was the first to salute in both since Ethereal in 2001. It is a tough task to turn around so fast but he has to try.

Bella Nipotina makes Everest history

We mentioned earlier in the week that a filly or mare has not won The Everest, albeit in limited action. It was shattered on Saturday as the gutsy mare Bella Nipotina got the job done in the $7.5 million to the winner of the 1200m contest.

Three of the first four past the line were in the front four throughout the contest. Craig Williams showed his experience to put her in the right position early on. Two of the market leaders in I Wish I Win and Joliestar were held up and as it transpired, had zero chance from their early positions.

She had the worst of the barrier draw to overcome and her strike rate coming in of nine wins in 54 starts is not one that gets the heart racing. Bella Nipotina has always been one who brings her best to the table at the perfect time, however. The seven-year-old did so again to win her fourth Group 1.

Maher closing in on 50 Group 1 wins

The 43-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable training career already. His double on Saturday saw 49 Group 1 winners become his new tally, looking certain to bring up the half-century this spring. He has a fair way to go to catch Ireland’s Aidan O’Brien who won his 400th earlier this year when Auguste Rodin won at Royal Ascot.

Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith are the men who share the most in Australia with 246. With 20% of that total on the board, Maher has plenty of work on to catch that pair of legends but he is well on the way to becoming a Hall of Fame trainer himself. 

Maher will have been just as pleased to see his Estriella back to winning form in the Group 2 Millennium Sprint. She has long been regarded as a potential sprinting star and perhaps can make up into an Everest type herself in time.

Sixteen days before the 2024 edition of the Melbourne Cup, Ciaron Maher warmed up with a stunning Group 1 double. Maher won the Melbourne Cup in 2022 with Gold Trip and the 2023 Caulfield Cup winner doubled up at Flemington. Will history repeat itself?