Trainer Ciaron Maher has confirmed his intentions to head to Flemington on the first Tuesday of November for the 2025 Melbourne Cup with Royal Supremacy, who showcased his serious staying credentials with a strong Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) win in Sydney on Saturday.
2025 The Metropolitan winner Royal Supremacy is on track for a shot at the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 4. Photo: Bradley Photos.
Triumph Over Favourite
The five-year-old Make Believe gelding reversed the result of his previous start, turning the tables on the Chris Waller-trained Soul Of Spain in the mile-and-a-half feature on Epsom Handicap Day.
Maher was quick to acknowledge the improvement from the gelding’s third-place finish in the Newcastle Gold Cup.
“I was pretty confident that day, so I left Newcastle with my tail between my legs,” Maher told Sky Thoroughbred Central after his The Metropolitan victory. “This was obviously much better.”
Soul Of Spain, the favourite, had to settle for second as Royal Supremacy relished his return to the Royal Randwick track and a notable drop to just 50kg.
Jockey Robbie Dolan gave the winner a perfectly timed run, earning praise from the trainer.
“Great steer by Robbie, and I can’t thank our team enough, Australian Bloodstock, all the other owners, fantastic,” Maher said.
He noted the horse’s maturity: “He (Royal Supremacy) just gets better with each run, he used to be a little bit aggressive in his races, but with each race, he’s starting to relax a little bit better. And that’s what I said to Robbie; it’s just about getting the first half right, and hopefully the second half will take care of itself. I’m just thrilled.”
A Strong Finish and Melbourne Awaits
The finish was tight, but Royal Supremacy ($7.50) quickly chased down the favourite Soul Of Spain ($4.80F) after the latter hit the lead 300m out.
Royal Supremacy drew clear for an impressive victory.
Maher prepared two of the first three home, with stablemate Juja Kibo ($19) finishing just a length behind in third.
Maher now plans to test Royal Supremacy over two miles in the Group 1 $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4.
“He’ll probably go towards the Melbourne Cup, I’d imagine, he did a mile and a half quite well, so we’ll see if he can do two,” Maher said.
Dolan, who rode last year’s shock Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice (since ruled out due to illness), reflected on the changing dynamics of the spring.
“Racing’s a funny game, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s a real shame about Knight’s Choice, you know that little horse changed all our lives forever, but his welfare is number one and I do believe things happen for a reason,” he said.
Dolan was effusive about his new Group 1 winner: “He (Royal Supremacy) is probably the strongest horse I’ve ever ridden, my god I was bolting at one stage, I’d say he’s a pretty talented horse because he over-raced pretty much most of the race and ran away from them. If he learns to relax, he’d be a serious weight-for-age horse.”
Royal Supremacy is aiming for the rare The Metropolitan – Melbourne Cup double, last achieved by Macdougal in 1959.
His victory has seen his odds for the Melbourne Cup firm sharply from $51 to $26 through Ladbrokes.
2025 The Metropolitan Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Robbie Dolan | 9 | 50kg | $7.50 | ||
| 2 | 9 | SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 0.77L | 10 | 50.5kg | 0.5kg | $4.80F |
| 3 | 18 | JUJA KIBO (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Reece Jones | 1.06L | 14 | 50kg | $19 | |
| 4 | 3 | MORE FELONS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 1.34L | 18 | 55kg | $151 | |
| 5 | 1 | VAUBAN (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 1.36L | 7 | 58.5kg | $12 | |
| 6 | 17 | TRAVOLTA (GB) | Chris Waller | Ben Thompson | 1.53L | 1 | 50kg | $9 | |
| 7 | 7 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 2.62L | 16 | 51.5kg | $7 | |
| 8 | 11 | PIGGYBACK | Ciaron Maher | Andrew Adkins | 3.58L | 13 | 50kg | $41 | |
| 9 | 14 | WYCLIF (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Louise Day | 3.6L | 6 | 50kg | $41 | |
| 10 | 16 | FLYING BANDIT | Kerry Parker | Brock Ryan | 4.28L | 5 | 50kg | $15 | |
| 11 | 15 | DON DIEGO DE VEGA (FR) | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Ms Alysha Collett | 5.03L | 11 | 50kg | $51 | |
| 12 | 10 | ETNA ROSSO (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 5.37L | 2 | 50kg | $9 | |
| 13 | 12 | GLORY DAZE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Anna Roper (a) | 5.76L | 4 | 50kg | $31 | |
| 14 | 6 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Dylan Gibbons | 6.75L | 3 | 52kg (cd 53kg) | $71 | |
| 15 | 2 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 9.45L | 12 | 58kg | $21 | |
| 16 | 8 | SON OF SUN (NZ) | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | Ms Molly Bourke (a) | 10.78L | 15 | 51kg | $101 | |
| 17 | 19e | SUN ’N’ SAND | Barbara Joseph, Paul & Matt Jones | Ms Winona Costin | 13.66L | 17 | 50kg | $101 | |
| 18 | 4 | CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) | Kris Lees | Ethan Brown | 56.28L | 8 | 54.5kg | $10 | |
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU?
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
This page and the written content within it were partially generated using AI or automated technology and edited and verified by our editorial team.
