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By Ray Hickson

The path to a second attempt at the Big Dance will become clearer for last year’s placegetter Lugh after the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper steps out at Randwick on Saturday.

Johann Gerard-Dubord (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Lugh ran third behind stablemates Gringotts and Vivy Air in the 2025 edition of the $3 million race and Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord saw more than enough in his first run since that race to be confident he can continue his rise.

Gerard-Dubord said it will be harder for the five-year-old to get that eligibility, a year ago he won the Tuncurry Cup to get his ticket, but he appears to have returned in good order.

The gelding ran fifth behind Cool Jakey and subsequent Civic Stakes winner Midnight Dynamite in his return and he said it was definitely a pass mark going into the Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1400m), where he was $4.60 with TAB on Thursday.

“If you look at his first-up run last prep it was a very similar run but in midweek grade,’’ he said.

“I thought it was as good as it gets for him for a first-up run and the 1400m with a bit of time between runs will suit, it’s a good race for him.”

Siena Grima rides Lugh on Saturday, taking 2kg off, and he brings an unbeaten second-up record into the race along with strong wet track credentials.

If he performs to the stable’s hopes, Gerard-Dubord said a race like the Goulburn Cup might present an opportunity to tick the box for the Big Dance.

“It’s such a good prizemoney race and if you have a horse with that kind of rating, especially a gelding, you have to consider it,’’ he said.

“If we can find the right lead up race it’s definitely a race we’d love to get him back running in.

“Last year he had the lower rating to qualify so this year it’s harder to find that right race.”

Stablemate It’s A Knockout has returned from two runs in Victoria and is engaged in the same race from a wide gate, she is also nominated for a race over the Grafton carnival.

Connections of consistent gelding Benevac, another ride for Siena Grima, will hoping the inside is no disadvantage after the barrier gods finally shone on him in the Cactus Imaging Handicap (1100m).

He’s been ambushed by Shropshire Lad and Lighthouse Lass in his last two starts after looking the winner and Gerard-Dubord said he should find a kinder run with cover.

“Both times he had tough runs, two starts ago he was wide and last start he had some work to do early so he deserves to win one,’’ he said.

“It might have been a touch stronger than the 1000m race but it’s hard to bypass a good gate.

“He’s a hard going horse and can overdo things so from a softer gate if he can come out neutral and get a bit of cover it’ll be a big help to him.”

Johann Gerard-Dubord on Sociable (race 6): “He doesn’t like open air, when he gets too much room in front of him he can put the breaks on. Last start we wanted to wait for as long as we could and of course everything worked out too well and there was a big gap. You’d have loved that run for any horse but him. He has ability but it’s more the way the race pans out for him.”

Lugh's first-up run at Randwick on June 6

Meanwhile, star filly Tempted is likely to follow a proven path to the TAB Everest in the spring as she prepares for a rematch with superstar Ka Ying Rising.

The rising four-year-old’s campaign will look very similar to 2024 champ Bella Nipotina and last year’s third placegetter Jimmysstar as she resumes in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m), going a month into the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) then into the $20 million TAB Everest (1200m) on October 17.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting