When Middle Earth arrived in Australia for his initial campaign, he hit the ground running with immediate success.
His first-up victory came in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) at Flemington, which was followed by a fifth placing in the prestigious Australian Cup.
The subsequent occasion Middle Earth featured in the placings was in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley last October, serving as a lead-up to his third-place finish in the Melbourne Cup.
It is a common observation that European stayers often perform well early in their Australian campaigns before their form gradually improves over a longer duration.
This is the pattern the Ciaron Maher stable is anticipating as they advance towards the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup with Middle Earth, who is taking a significant step on the path to those races in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield this Saturday.
Middle Earth spent his winter period in Queensland’s warmth and secured a win at Doomben in May. He then resumed with a pleasing eighth-place finish in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on August 29.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, stated that Middle Earth has progressed nicely throughout his Cups campaign, carrying 55kg in the Caulfield Cup and 56.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, representing a 2kg rise from his weight when finishing third last year.
“He’s great,” Turnbull said.
“I think he’s sharpened up off the break and last preparation. We won a Group 3 at 2000 metres up in Queensland.
“He gets winkers back on and it’s all part of the process to get him up in trip.
“We feel he is sharper and better (than last year) and he’ll be on to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, and he is one of our better chances.”
With Melbourne expecting sunny weather on Friday and a warm day on Saturday, Turnbull mentioned that the ideal racing surface for Middle Earth would be a track in the Good 4 to Soft 5 range, indicating good European ground conditions.
Turnbull added that a positive result would please the stable, as Middle Earth is likely to head to the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3, on his journey towards the Caulfield Cup.
“If you’re running well in an Underwood, it generally carries through to races a bit later on,” Turnbull stated.
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