Point Of Law on path to Caulfield Cup after Ciaron Maher buys the King’s Bahrain Trophy winner

Ciaron Maher’s bid for a third Caulfield Cup has received a major shot in the arm, with the trainer inking a deal to buy a high-profile European stayer from King Charles III.

His Majesty, who has a pre-existing relationship with Maher as the trainer of The King-owned Gilded Water, agreed to sell last-start Bahrain Trophy winner Point Of Law to do his future racing in Australia.

A homebred for The King, Point Of Law quickly emerged from a debut second at Yarmouth in April to win his maiden at Newbury over 2000m before a fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.

Maher, who alongside his mother Eileen was a guest of The King at Royal Ascot, also witnessed Point Of Law’s on-pace victory in the £200,000 Bahrain Trophy over 2600m at Newmarket on July 9.

Maher’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne told The Straight that the Queen’s Vase was a proven source for stayers suited to Australian racing.

“One of the main reasons he was so appealing for the stable to acquire is that he’s so lightly raced and still very progressive,” Bourne said. 

“With horses like him, you never quite know where the ceiling is or when they’ll stop improving and reach their peak rating.”

Fourth in the 2023 Queen’s Vase at the Royal meeting, Circle Of Fire won the following year’s Sydney Cup, while Bourne’s belief in Point Of Law was enhanced by history, with last season’s Maher-trained The Metropolitan and Q22 winner Royal Supremacy emerging from the 2024 Bahrain Trophy.

This year’s Group 1 Doomben Cup winner Birdman, who is trained by Chris Waller, ran third in the 2024 Queen’s Vase prior to being sold to Australian connections.

The King’s bloodstock and racing advisor John Warren was excited by Point Of Law’s Australian prospects.

“I’m sure Their Majesties will derive great pleasure following Point of Law’s continued career in Australia,” Warren said.

“Like all owner-breeders, the majority of their colts eventually do get sold on and The King and Queen will be wishing Ciaron Maher and the new owners the best of luck for an exciting future ahead.”

Point Of Law is the first named foal out of UK Listed-placed Deep Impact mare Portfolio, herself a daughter of Dubawi’s York Listed winner Diploma. She had a colt by Churchill earlier this year.

Previously trained by John and Thady Gosden, Point Of Law will transfer to rival Newmarket trainer Harry Eustace to be prepared for his trip to Australia ahead of the Caulfield Cup.

Eustace also oversaw the pre-quarantine training of Sir Dragonet, Maher’s 2020 Cox Plate winner. 

Bourne indicated that Point Of Law was a more natural stayer and that the handicap conditions and 2400m of a Caulfield Cup would suit the colt more than a weight-for-age race.

“He’s an exciting horse and we’re very lucky to have owners prepared to invest in and buy horses of this quality,” Bourne said.

“Without that really loyal ownership base, a stable like Ciaron Maher Bloodstock simply wouldn’t be in the market for horses at this level, so we’re extremely fortunate to have them on board.

“At the same time, that’s probably the one question mark heading into the immediate spring. He’s only had the one racing preparation, so you can query whether he’s seasoned enough to get off the plane and hit the ground running in a race like the Caulfield Cup. 

“But you certainly can’t question his ability or the upside he has.”

A group of familiar Maher clients, including ARE Investments, DEG Racing, Adrian Willoughby, John Simmons, John O’Neill, Rupert Legh and Cameron Massie, are members of the partnership that will race Point Of Law.

Bourne said: “It also needs to be said the amount of work that goes into these horses is enormous, and you really have to acknowledge the boss and how hard he works in conjunction with his bloodstock team – Kate Austin, Billy Jackson-Stops and Jamie Spencer – in identifying, assessing and securing horses of this quality.”

A purchase price for Point Of Law has not been disclosed.

Earlier this winter Maher was linked to the Donnacha O’Brien-trained A Boy Named Susie, but a rumoured $5 million-plus deal did not eventuate.

It prompted O’Brien to launch a scathing attack on Australian racing media for what he called inaccuracies in relation to the potential sale of A Boy Named Susie, who is owned by his sister Ana.

The acquisition of Point Of Law by Maher, who won the Caulfield Cup in 2016 with Jameka and again in 2024 with Duke De Sessa, comes as Australian owners are finding it increasingly difficult to buy European stayers due to their inflated prices.

Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett last month described the European tried horse market as being “off its head”, having sourced another lightly raced northern hemisphere three-year-old in Perisher.

Twice a winner in Ireland this year for trainer Joseph O’Brien, Perisher could also be aimed at the Caulfield Cup by his soon-to-be trainer Maher.