Maher chases rare Orr Stakes hat-trick

The biggest races of the Spring Carnival might have passed, but Ciaron Maher is not done chasing feature success.

The trainer who won the $20 million The Everest and prepared the Melbourne Cup trifecta is chasing a hat-trick of wins in the $1 million Group 1 C F Orr Stakes, which will be run at Sandown this Saturday.

Maher won the first Orr Stakes run as Victoria’s final Group 1 of the year with Jimmysstar, who followed victory by stablemate Another Wil in the last Orr Stakes as Australia’s first feature of the year earlier in 2025.

Jimmysstar and Another Wil are among 13 entries for Saturday’s feature, along with stablemate Warnie.

Jimmysstar won last year’s Orr Stakes after taking out the Russell Balding Stakes, in which he finished seventh as $3.80 favourite at his most recent outing, but Maher is steadfast that the powerful gelding who won the Group 1 Manikato Stakes on September 27 remains in top form.

“I think he’s going equally as good,” Maher said when asked to compare him to this time last year.

“He’s probably going better than his prep in between and I think he’s probably going as good as last spring.

“With a horse like him, you just need things to go your way.”

Jimmysstar will renew hostilities with Angel Capital, who was runner-up in last year’s Orr Stakes, this weekend with Godolphin pair Beiwacht and Pericles, Tatt’s Tiara winner Splash Back and Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine among his other potential rivals.

Jimmysstar is chasing a place alongside some Australian racing greats when the Orr Stakes returns to Sandown, which hosted most editions of the race between 1966 and 1996.

Only four horses have won the Orr Stakes more than once with Manikato (1979-81) and Vo Rogue (1988-90) having each completed a hat-trick when the race was previously run at Sandown, while Lord (1959/60) and Typhoon Tracy (2010/11) are the dual winners.

Jimmysstar has recorded three of his four Group 1 wins at Caulfield, the modern-day home to the Orr Stakes, but Maher is excited about seeing him get the chance to wind up on the big home straight of Sandown’s Hillside track.

“The bigger the track the better for him. I think Sandown won’t be any excuse,” Maher said.

Orr Stakes victory would give Maher a 71st Group 1 win and seventh of a Spring Carnival that was headlined by Melbourne Cup success with Point Of Law.

Maher earlier won The Everest with Tempted, while his other Group 1 wins this spring came via the Coolmore Stud Stakes with The Next Episode, Thousand Guineas with Saintly Dancer and The Might And Power with Land Legend.