Duke De Sessa seals Caulfield Cup-Everest double for Ciaron Maher under daring ride from Harry Coffey

Jockey Harry Coffey was rewarded for a daring front-running ride on Duke De Sessa to win the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup on a memorable day for trainer Ciaron Maher.

An hour after Maher hit the jackpot in the A$20 million (£10.3m/€12.3m) TAB Everest at Randwick with Bella Nipotina, he was celebrating again at Caulfield after Duke De Sessa clung on for victory from the fast-finishing Buckaroo.

The winner, who won twice at Group 3 level when trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld, handed Coffey, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, the perfect gift on his 29th birthday.

"I don't know how to describe this, but I feel spectacular," Coffey said. "When I let rip I thought maybe I'd gone too early, but one thing you can count on with Ciaron Maher on his amazing team, is that you can back their horses in and they'll keep running. I've been involved in a day I'll never forget, on my birthday."

Favourite Buckaroo appeared to run the ideal prep for next month's Lexus Melbourne Cup, for which he was cut to 7-1 (from 20-1) by Coral.

However, connections of the Chris Waller-trained runner-up said a decision about Flemington still needed to be made.

"It's an issue for Chris and everyone to work out whether we roll the dice and go to the Melbourne Cup or go back to the Mackinnon [Champion Stakes],"  said Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth.

Earlier at Randwick in front of a modern-day record crowd of 49,117, Bella Nipotina initiated Maher's sensational double by becoming the first mare to win the Everest.

Craig Williams brought his mount wide from a high draw and had just enough at the finish to win his second Everest from runner-up Giga Kick, on whom he landed the race two years ago.

"I couldn't do it without the performance of Bella," said Williams. "We drew 12, we were hoping for more rain, but the track was to her liking and basically the plan was, Ciaron said, let's just trust her.

“I told them if we win, it only pays for more things in Ukraine, not for more pets."

Maher, also responsible for the Everest third Growing Empire, came mightily close to a Group 1 treble on the day when Pride Of Jenni was just caught late on by the Joseph Pride-trained Ceolwulf in Randwick's King Charles III Stakes.

In her trademark fashion, Pride Of Jenni grabbed the early lead and kicked in the straight but was chased down inside the final furlong by Ceolwulf, who backed up this month's Group 1 Epsom success under Chad Schofield.

Lexus Melbourne Cup (November 5, Flemington)

Coral: 5 Jan Brueghel, 7 Buckaroo, Vauban, 12 Absurde, Point King, 14 Land Legend, 20 Francesco Guardi, Via Sistina, Zardozi, 25 Saint George, The Map, Warmonger, Warp Speed, 33 bar

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