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By Ray Hickson

Ideal – those five letters encapsulate how trainer Ciaron Maher feels about the way everything has unfolded for Gringotts to have his chance to win Saturday’s Group 1 $4m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.

Trainer Ciaron Maher (Pic: Steve Hart)

It’s a word he used a number of times after the Big Dance winner, and last start Group 1 weight-for-age winner, came up with barrier six as he tackles the race third-up from a spell.

Gringotts is one of three runners Maher sends in search of his first Doncaster, along with Group 1 winner Another Wil plus New Energy, and while he hasn’t quite earned top seed status the champion trainer said the preparation has gone to script.

“This plan has been pretty well mapped out into the Donnie and so far it’s gone ideally,’’ Maher said.

“The barrier is ideal, the horse is in great shape and if you drop in weight after a weight-for-age event that’s the ideal for a handicap Group 1 race.”

The five-year-old, $8 with TAB on Wednesday, emerged in 2024 winning five races starting with a Benchmark 88 on the Tancred Stakes card and culminating with tough wins under big weights from wide barriers in the Big Dance and The Gong.

After a luckless third in the Liverpool City Cup (1300m), Gringotts made the transition to weight-for-age when he downed Fangirl and Ceolwulf in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) two weeks ago.

Winx in 2016 was the last horse to complete the Ryder-Doncaster double. Maher said the draw allows Tommy Berry to ride the gelding confidently.

“He generally sits on speed somewhere and his prep so far has gone really smooth,’’ he said.

“He’s got a nice weight considering what he’s done and a mile there should be ideal. So far so good and hopefully we just get a smooth run.

“Tommy’s got his tail up and the horse has too.”

Another Wil, also an $8 chance, has the number one saddlecloth and top billing from Maher in the Doncaster and he says a year on from being a beaten favourite in the race he’s a better horse and his record shows it.

A first-up defeat of dual Doncaster winner Mr Brightside was followed a month later by a close up, and quite unlucky, fourth in the All Star Mile.

He jumped from barrier 16 in 2024, and was beaten 2-1/2 lengths by Celestial Legend, the gelding will have a similar gate to contend with on Saturday.

“He probably wasn’t quite ready mentally (last year), he’s grown up a lot and his form would suggest that as well,’’ Maher said.

“You couldn’t rule him out no matter what, he’s arguably our top seed going in.

“He’s a quality horse and it seems this has been his coming out prep. He’ll come in with a few emergencies so it mightn’t be so bad.”

Dylan Gibbons, who notched his first Group 1 for Maher in the Sydney Cup of 2023, will ride New Energy who has to turn around a first-up last placing in the Ajax Stakes three weeks ago.

He’s been somewhat enigmatic in 10 runs for Maher, with just one win and a second, but the trainer says he’s one of those horses that’s capable under the right circumstances.

“The horse does possess that ability. He will need things to go his way but he could hit the line pretty hard,’’ he said.

Gringotts wins the George Ryder at Rosehill on March 22

Maher has two Australian Derby wins, with former co-trainer David Eustace, in the past four years and he feels Shanwah isn’t out of place in the $2 million classic.

He started his preparation on the final day of 2024 in a maiden having been gelded and ran fifth at Warrnambool before stringing four wins on end including a Group 2 double.

“His prep has been faultless. He had a couple of preps up here when he was a colt and was moved to Melbourne, gelded, and really hit form,’’ Maher said.

All the fields, form and replays for Day 1 of The Star Championships at Randwick