Juja Kibo has booked his place in the Melbourne Cup after winning the Moonee Valley Gold Cup at Flemington, giving Ciaron Maher seven runners safely in the field.
Ridden by Sam Clipperton, the six-year-old beat stablemate Kings Valley by a half-length in the Group 2 race over 2500m on Saturday, with another Maher stablemate, Mr Monaco, a long head away third, the VRC reported.
The Moonee Valley Gold Cup carried the last of the 10 ballot-free ‘Golden Ticket’ exemptions into the Melbourne Cup (3200m), which will be run at Flemington on Tuesday 3 November.
Maher’s Cup army grows
Juja Kibo joins Shockletz, winner of The Archer, and Mr Monaco, winner of The Bart Cummings, among Maher’s golden ticket horses. Stablemates Royal Supremacy, Middle Earth and Saint George also sit inside the top 24 in the order of entry, while Zahrann is just outside, Racing.com reported.
“They seem to be coming together at the right time,” Maher said. “They’re going well, they’re in their right races and the team are doing a great job and I’m very proud.”
Read more: Racing: Mr Monaco Wins Bart Cummings, Books Melbourne Cup Ticket
“He was fantastic. To come off a slow speed and show such a good turn of foot, carrying a decent amount of weight, it was a pretty good win,” Maher said of Juja Kibo.
Clipperton earns the ride
Clipperton also rode Juja Kibo to win The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick earlier this month. He gave racing away at the end of 2024 and returned to race riding in mid-2025, according to Racing.com.
“Sam, since he’s come back from his break, he’s done a lot of work for the stable and he asked if he could ride him,” Maher said. “He said he would make the weight, and he had been galloping him and knew how good he was going.”
Maher also liked what he saw from Kings Valley and Mr Monaco, who gave Tasmanian apprentice Jabez Johnstone a Melbourne Cup ride. “Kings Valley was back there as well, and I thought he was no chance,” he said. “He was a bit unlucky in a Caulfield Cup not to be fighting out the finish, so he’s running into form.”
Read more: Half Yours Unlikely for Melbourne Cup After Caulfield Cup Fall
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
More News
- Racing: Mr Monaco Wins Bart Cummings, Books Melbourne Cup Ticket
- Half Yours Unlikely for Melbourne Cup After Caulfield Cup Fall
- Cosmic Crusader Wins Cox Plate for Andrea Leek and William Pike
- 2026 Cox Plate Review: What The Jockeys Said
- Caulfield Cup Fall: Stewards Clear All Jockeys Over Ohope Wins Death
