The 33-year-old is almost assured stayer Mr O’Ceirin will qualify for the Melbourne Cup field despite scratching the seven-year-old from Saturday’s Moonee Valley Cup. “I thought the track would be too hard for him,” Maher said.

“I just thought we would roll the dice and see if he can squeeze into the Melbourne Cup field without having another run.”

It’s a gamble that looks like paying off.

Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter yesterday revealed Mr O’Ceirin was ranked 21st in the order of entry for the 24-horse Cup field which includes 12 international runners. 

Only the winners of Saturday’s Mackinnon and Lexus stakes can force their way into the field, meaning Mr O’Ceirin, barring injuries, will have a spot in the Cup. There’s also doubt about another couple of highly-fancied horses ahead of Mr O’Ceirin in the order of entry.

“Mr O’Ceirin is in the field as we speak,” Carpenter said. “I can’t see many horses leap-frogging over him to get into the final field. Mr O’Ceirin is weighted at 54 kg so that puts him right into the field.”

Carpenter said there had been a big attrition rate of potential Cup runners.

Maher was excited yesterday when told by The Standard Mr O’Ceirin seemed destined for the Cup in eight days.

“It’s a dream come true to think I will have a runner in the Melbourne Cup,” Maher said.

“It’s every trainer and owner’s dream to have a runner in the race.”

Mr O’Ceirin’s connections will pay a second declaration fee of $4620 by 10am today to ensure the galloper is in the Cup field. 

Warrnambool’s Geoff and Lyn McLaren are among the owners of Mr O’Ceirin, which has won 10 of his 38 race starts. 

Maher, who has been training for nine years, swept on to the racing stage when he trained Tears I Cry to win the 2007 group 1 $1 million Emirates Stakes on the final day of the Flemington Spring Carnival.

“I’ve been very lucky during my training career because I’ve got wonderful owners and staff and been fortunate to have trained some very, very good horses,” Maher said.

“The Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle race. It’s massive on the world stage. 

“The wish I’ve got going forward is we have about two inches of rain next Monday night — that would ensure Mr O’Ceirin is right in the race. His best efforts are on rain-affected tracks.”

Maher could yet have two runners in the Cup. Jockey Mark Zahra has been booked to ride Marksmanship, a stablemate of Mr O’Ceirin, in Saturday’s $300,000 Lexus Stakes. The seven-year-old stallion must win the Lexus to gain a start in the Cup.

Marksmanship’s owners will pay the $4620 second declaration fee for the Melbourne Cup this morning. 

Maher was left scratching his head after Akavoroun ran fifth behind Hooked in the Crystal Mile on Saturday. Jockey Michelle Payne told stewards following the race Akavoroun was making a respiratory noise in the straight but a post-race veterinary examination revealed no abnormalities. 

Maher said he would have a better idea of Akavoroun’s spring campaign prospects over the next few days. 

“We’ll just take him home and see how he is before making any big plans,” he said. “Today Akavoroun was just not the same horse as he was when he ran fourth in the Toorak Handicap.” 

With the prospect of Light Up Manhattan running in the group 1 $1.5 million Victoria Derby on Saturday and Set Square and Azkadellia in the group 1 $1 million Crown Oaks on November 6, Maher admits it will be a busy Flemington carnival for his stable.

“I would say it’s going to be pretty hectic,” he said. “It’s an amazing time of the year when all owners and trainers wish they had runners so we’re very lucky to have a few runners.”

Jarrod McLean is the most recent Warrnambool trainer to have a Melbourne Cup runner. 

McLean trained Kibbutz which was unplaced behind Shocking in the 2009 Cup.