Purcell to take the reins at Maher stable

WARRNAMBOOL- BASED Aaron Purcell is ready to take over the staff and horses of suspended trainer Ciaron Maher.

Racing Victoria stewards have given an in-principle agreement for Purcell to take over from Maher next Monday.

Maher was on Monday suspended for six months and fined $75,000 by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board over the ownership bona fides of five horses, including Group One-winning mare Azkadellia, that were owned by convicted conman Peter Foster.

The horses were raced in the name of Ben Connolly, Maher’s former racing manager.

RV chief steward Terry Bailey said there was a deed of agreement still to be signed but an in-principle agreement was in place.

“The main thing we wanted to be satisfied with was Mr Purcell was responsible for the em- ployment of the staff and that he’d be spending the majority of his time at Caulfield,” Bailey said.

“He’s given that undertaking. There’s a deed of agreement the parties need to sign which is with our legal team at the moment.

“The contents of that are no different to what we’ve had a verbal agreement on, so it’s just a matter of getting signatures before Monday.”

Purcell will continue with his Warrnambool base while spending the majority of his time at Caulfield until Maher returns to training next April.

MEANWHILE, Brent Stanley knows he’s throwing Sweet Sherry in the deep end in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley tonight, but says she’s never been in better shape.

Sweet Sherry is quoted at $35 and is facing horses of the calibre of Russian Revolution ($2.90 fav), Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign ($3.80) and Sheidel ($6.50) but Stanley believes she’s up to it.

“This is the preparation where we can find out whether she’s a Group One sprinter which is what I think she is,” Stanley said.

Stanley said this was the first preparation Sweet Sherry had had where she didn’t have a problem.