Juja Kibo won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup over 2500m at Flemington on Saturday. The race carried the last of the ten ballot-free "Golden Ticket" places in the Melbourne Cup, so it settles the final guaranteed spot before the race on 3 November.
It also confirms how much of the field belongs to one trainer. Ciaron Maher's horses took the first three places: Juja Kibo won by half a length from Kings Valley, with Mr Monaco a long head back in third. Maher now has seven of the 24 runners safely in the Cup. His other Golden Ticket winners this spring are Shockletz (The Archer), Mr Monaco (The Bart Cummings) and Point Of Law, who won the Geelong Cup on Wednesday and is the Cup favourite.
Juja Kibo arrived in form after winning The Metropolitan at Randwick on 3 October. Sam Clipperton, who has been riding the stayer in his Sydney work, kept the ride. Mr Monaco's third gives Tasmanian apprentice Jabez Johnstone a Melbourne Cup mount.
"They seem to be coming together at the right time," Maher said.
Royal Supremacy, Middle Earth and Saint George are also among Maher's horses in the top 24, and Zahrann is next in line at 25th.
Source
Original summary by Proventier.