Maher in shocking deadline blunder

STRADBROKE Handicapwinning trainer Ciaron Maher has missed the deadline for Queensland winter carnival features, leaving a huge hole in the entries released this week.

With entries closing at 11am on Tuesday, Maher (pictured), who trains in partnership with David Eustace, did not get their nominations entered in time, meaning they must pay a late entry fee for any horse they want to race in a feature throughout the carnival.

Racing Queensland officials were expecting bumper nominations from the leading stable, especially in staying features such as the Doomben Cup and Queensland Derby and were left surprised when nothing came through.

It is understood Maher’s stable reached out to Racing Queensland shortly after the deadline.

While the stable managed to enter Generation in next Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in time, it is the only horse from the stable that features on the nominations list.

Late entry fees for the Group 1s vary, with the Stradbroke Handicap now costing $9000, opposed to the $750 regular entry fee.

Other feature races such as The Q22 ($7200), JJ Atkins ($6000), Queensland Oaks ($3600), Queensland Derby ($6000) and Sires’ Produce ($6000) attract significant late entry fees while $25,500 would have to be paid for any horse to run against Zaaki and Ayrton in the Doomben Cup due to the close proximity of the race.

Maher, made his name in Queensland early in his career, running third in the Stradbroke in 2014 with Srikandi, before coming back 12 months later to win it with the same horse and most recently took out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic with Coolangatta on the Gold Coast.

It is not the first time the incident has happened, with Godolphin, Te Akau Racing and Tony Pike all missing the deadline in recent years.