CONSECUTIVE winning doubles at metropolitan meetings last week have narrowed the margin between the Lindsay Park training operation and the Ciaron Maher-David Eustace partnership for the Melbourne trainers' premiership.
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A winning city double during the week followed by two winners at Flemington on Saturday have kept the Maher-Eustace combination in contention with only nine meetings left before the 2019-20 season ends on July 31.
The Hayes-Dabernig yard has 64 winners while the Maher -Eustace stable has led in 55.5 winners.
Saturday's Flemington winners for the Maher-Eustace combination were Persan and Lord Belvedere.
Maher said he was hopeful his stable could overhaul the Hayes-Dabernig pairing in the last few weeks of the season.
"We're a few wins behind but we aim to give the premiership a good shake over the next few weeks," the Winslow export said.
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"It would be a wonderful result if we could win the title. Our stable has had a great season which is a wonderful result for our owners and staff.
"The Melbourne trainers' premiership is something we would love to win, if we don't do it this season I would love to think we could do it within the next few years."
Maher gave credit to his Ballarat stable for Persan's win in the 2000-metre race and thought the win of Lord Belvedere was a top performance
"Parsan has been trained up at Ballarat," he said. "Persan is a quirky type of horse. The team at Ballarat have done a great job with him.
"He's a promising type of colt and he's building up an impressive Flemington record winning his two starts there. The win of Lord Belvedere was impressive.
"He's come back from colic surgery. I thought he may have needed this run but I got that wrong.
"I'm sure he'll improve a lot on the back of that victory.
"Lord Belvedere is another one who is building up an impressive record at Flemington.
"The win was also a great result for Highclere who have been supporters of our stable for the last couple of years."
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