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By Ray Hickson

Co-trainer Ciaron Maher and connections of Tancred Stakes winner Sir Dragonet have made it clear this week that Saturday’s Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) is no two horse race.

Trainer Ciaron Maher (Pic: Steve Hart)

Billboards in Sydney and Melbourne and social media campaigns emblazoned with Sir Dragonet’s image more or less announce him as a challenger to the ‘big two’ Addeybb and Verry Elleegant.

His place in the market is as the third stringer, at $6.50 with TAB on Thursday, but Maher is adamant he is one of the ‘big three’ and set to produce the best we’ve seen of him at Royal Randwick.

“It should be his peak run, this was always his target race, hopefully he can run a PB,’’ Maher said.

“I just know that he’s improved, he improves with more work and more racing. So I’m confident he will run a PB, whether that is good enough everyone else can work out.

“They are three world class horses so hopefully it pans out that way and they’re all fighting it out.”

Sir Dragonet entered the new year as a Cox Plate champion and the expectation that he would be a major player heading towards the Queen Elizabeth.

Maher concedes there were a couple of misfires but doesn’t regret attempting to win a 1400m Group 1 in the Orr Stakes or taking his place in the All Star Mile despite his overseas form being at 2000m and above.

“We rolled the dice in a couple of short races,’’ he said.

“While the Orr looked to come up lighter than normal it was still 1400m around Caulfield on a rock hard track so they don’t come back at all. He found that too sharp.

“The All Star Mile was a very messy race, he got smashed from pillar to post. If I thought those runs were going to have an effect at all I wouldn’t’ have run him.

“It’s great to see him back at his last two runs which is right up with his best form.”

The five-year-old rumbled with Verry Elleegant and Addeybb when he ran fourth in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 27, running the second fastest last 200m of 12.22 (Punter's Intelligence).

He backed up a week later and outclassed the opposition in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) where that turn of foot was evident again as he dashed his last 600m in a race best 35.11 including an 11.50 from the 400m-200m.

Maher said there was merit in his Ranvet effort and hopes the Queen Elizabeth turns into a brutal contest.

“I thought his run in the Ranvet was really good, his last half a furlong was the best part of his race so he got through the line very well,’’ he said.

“We probably could have made more use of him and that race was a stop-start race whereas this race will be a more genuine 2000m. The harder the race, the stronger the tempo, the better it is for him.

“He’s come on from the two runs, he was a bit fresh in the yard in the Ranvet, and he let down nicely in the Tancred.”

Glen Boss put Sir Dragonet through his paces in a course proper gallop at Randwick on Tuesday and Maher said it was exactly what he needed to sharpen him up for the grand final.

“I thought his work was very good, he’s come through his run really well and he’s nice and bright,’’ he said.

“We gave Grey Lion a head start so he’d have something to aim at and he worked very nicely.”

Sir Dragonet wins the Tancred Stakes at Rosehill

Ciaron Maher’s comments on other Randwick runners:

Southern France (Schweppes Sydney Cup): “I was very happy with him leading into the Tancred but the race just didn’t map well for him. He’s in better order going into this race though I was pretty happy with him going into the Tancred. Two miles is ideal, his action is good and I think he will run a big race.”

Crystal Bound (Percy Sykes): “She’s a horse with a lot of ability, we brought her to Randwick to have a look around and a trip away from home. She had a prep up here, something I like to do with two-year-olds for when you get to a scenario like this. It’s very similar prep to what we did with Sneaky Five, she only had one trial going into the race at the Valley and Sneaky Five did the same. The way she did it to the eye was very impressive. Hopefully we can get the same result.”

Amish Boy (Arrowfield Stakes): “I’m rapt with him, he’s in great order. He’s always under rated and he generally runs well. He seems to have enjoyed the space between runs at his last couple. I was going to stretch him out to the Guineas but we went to the lead up and I wasn’t comfortable. He was working very sharp so we freshened up for the Newmarket and he ran well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Royal Randwick on Saturday