The winning debut of King Tut on the synthetic surface at Pakenham on Monday for Australia's leading trainer, Ciaron Maher won’t be in the record books as the trainer's most-cherished win of the season but is a notable victory because it registered the stable’s 300th success for 2024-25 season.
That’s now four seasons in a row Ciaron Maher has managed to break through the 300 wins barrier.
The first season he did so was in 2021-22 when he prepared 317 winners. His earnings that season were $29 million.
This current season with 300.5 wins to his credit and with just over three weeks to go, Ciaron’s horses have won an Australasian Record of almost $59m.
Helping swell that tally for Maher were The Everest win recorded by Bella Nipotina, as well as the success of Duke De Sessa in the Caulfield Cup.
Ciaron Maher currently leads the Australian premiership comfortably with 300.5 wins, with Chris Waller in a distant second spot with 258 wins, ahead of the Lindsay Park stable on 241.5 wins, then Annabel and Rob Archibald are fourth with 226 victories.
Ciaron Maher Racing has now achieved Australia’s Number 1 Stable Status for the past three seasons.
Ciaron Maher's earnings trajectory for the past five seasons:
2020-21 - 273 wins for $23.7m;
2021-22 - 317 wins for $29.0m;
2022-23 - 347 wins for $37.2m;
2023-24 - 343 wins for $51.4m;
2024-25 - 300.5 wins for $58.9m (with 3 weeks remaining).
It’s almost unthinkable to believe the Ciaron Maher juggernaut can get bigger, but he stresses “we’re always geared up for growth”.
Behind his laid back country drawl is an intelligent, deep thinking and hungry mind now wanting to conquer international races, not just those in Australia.
Having achieved Premier Trainer in Australia and in Victoria, unashamedly, Ciaron’s focus is now on NSW, as he tries to gain a greater stronghold in Sydney, a domain long dominated by Chris Waller, who is on the cusp of his 15th straight metropolitan training premiership.
Achieving 56 boxes at Randwick for next season will certainly streamline his attack on the Sydney premiership over the coming seasons once the team works out the variants of training at Royal Randwick and increase their horse numbers in NSW.
“My goal is to get the best out of each individual horse, and if that costs me a bit of money, I don’t mind,” Maher says.
“Consolidating is the main thing, and every year we’ve improved in NSW.”
Over the next few seasons, “Does he think he can take on Waller in Sydney?”
“Yeah, I’m always up for a challenge,” Maher says.
“We’ll wear him down.”
Dynamic CIARON MAHER Wins 2024-25 Racing Season
Season Totals = 17 Wins (16 NSW and 1 Victoria)
3 Stakes Wins: The Shorts G2, Concorde G3, Geelong Classic LR
3 Stakes Placed: Challenge G2, Aspiration G3, GC Bracelet LR,
12 Metro Wins
3 Provincial
2* Country (*Both wins used as lead-ups to Stakes Success)
RACE WINS Chronological by Date:
891 AXIUS (JUSTIFY x ORONTES)
VICTOR LUDORUM @ DARLEY 1200m 3+ Maiden Hcp at Canterbury 7/8/24
895 HI DUBAI (HIGHLAND REEL x EUREKA DUBAI)
Brazen Beau @ Darley Bm72 1100m at Canterbury 28/8/24
897 IT'S A KNOCKOUT (DUNDEEL x SPORT CHIC)
Merrylands RSL CLUB Bm78 F&M 1500m at Rosehill 31/8/24
898 I AM ME (I AM INVINCIBLE x MEFNOODA)
ATC $1m CONCORDE Stakes Gr3, 1000m at Randwick 7/9/24
901 I AM ME (I AM INVINCIBLE x MEFNOODA)
The $1m ATC The Shorts 1100m Gr2 at Randwick 21/9/24
905 SAINT EMILION (SNITZEL x KYLIKWONG)
Register Your Interest Maiden Hcp 1600m at Goulburn 8/10/24
908 SAINT EMILION (SNITZEL x KYLIKWONG)
GEELONG CLASSIC (Listed Race) 3YO 2200m at Geelong 23/10/24
912 READY TO ROCKET (SMART MISSILE x READY TO LIVE)
HRC MOTEL 4yo & up Maiden 1100m at Hawkesbury 21/11/24
913 CHEVAL SAVANT (SAVABEEL x PASSION CHEVAL)
Hyland Race Colours 5yo & up Bm64 1800m at Randwick (Kensington) 6/12/24
918 LUGH (SNITZEL x MARCIA PROBA)
Jim Velich Memorial Bm68 Hcp 1200m at Newcastle 25/1/25
920 SPACEBALLS (DUNDEEL x LUDICROUS MODE)
Stud and Stable Staff Awards Super Maiden 1200m at Warwick Farm 5/2/25
926 AMPLIFY (MICROPHONE x SE SAUVER)
PBL Law Super Maiden Hcp 1625m at ATC Meeting at Wyong 19/3/25
932 AMPLIFY (MICROPHONE x SE SAUVER)
Elders Emms Mooney Class 1 & Maiden Plate 1800m at Bathurst 25/04/2025
936 PIGGYBACK (TRAPEZE ARTIST x VORMISTA)
TAB Handicap Bm 72 1300m at Warwick Farm 21/5/25
944 IT'S A KNOCKOUT (DUNDEEL x SPORT CHIC)
Traffic Warden @ Darley Hcp Bm78 1400m at Randwick 21/6/25
945 AXIUS (JUSTIFY x ORONTES)
Exceedance at Vinery Stud Bm78 1300m at Kensington 25/6/25
947 HI DUBAI (HIGHLAND REEL x EUREKA DUBAI)
Captivant @ Kia Ora Bm78 1100m at Rosehill 5/7/25