'Could be the best I've trained': Ciaron Maher's big rap for Golden Eagle favourite Light Infantry

Light Infantry runs in Saturday's $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill, under a unique training arrangement and his hit and run mission is well within his grasp, to become the first-fly in horse to win the 1500 metre contest.

The lightly raced four-year-old stallion is in the Golden Eagle under the care of Maher and his training partner David Eustace and then returns back to his original trainer David Simcock in England, to be set for a run at Royal Ascot in mid-2023, before finishing his racing days back in Australia with the Maher-Eustace stable.

"Potentially, Light Infantry could be the best horse I've trained and I've been very fortunate to have trained some really good horses," Maher told ACM Racing.

"I fully understand potential is a big word but Light Infantry ticks a lot of boxes as to why he's such a good horse. I've been taken by his athleticism since he arrived in Sydney. He's a medium sized horse but moves like a lot bigger horse.

"He's got a sort of arrogant attitude about him and all the good horses have that attitude and I reckon he's got stacks of it. Light Infantry can run on all types of surfaces, which is a bonus and he's got a beautiful action, whether he's just walking around or running as I said he ticks a lot of boxes."

Maher has spent plenty of time in Sydney at Canterbury racecourse over the last few weeks, overseeing Light Infantry's work leading up to Saturday's run in the Golden Eagle.

He was at track-work on Tuesday morning when race day jockey Jamie Spencer, who has ridden the stallion in his five race day starts, put Light Infantry through his final paces leading up to the Golden Eagle. From his five starts Light Infantry has won two races and ran second on two other occasions.

"Light Infantry worked off over a 1000 metres," he said. "I just wanted the horse to stretch his legs. He arrived at our stables in peak condition from David Simcock's yard. He's very fit.

"We've only had to keep the horse ticking over going into Saturday's race. Jamie was very happy with how the horse worked on Tuesday morning. There's been a lot of hype about Light Infantry running in the Golden Eagle and I can understand that because he's rated one of the best horses in the world. We've drawn ideally in barrier eight.

"I'm expecting we'll be travelling in the first half of the field. I've got my fingers crossed we have good luck in the run so we can see the horse live up to our expectations."

Early betting markets with Bet365 rate Light Infantry a $4.20 chance to win the Golden Eagle.

Apart from the imported stallion running at Rosehill, the powerful Maher-Eustace training combination has a strong hand at Flemington on Saturday.

They will saddle up six runners including their flying filly Coolangatta in the $2 million group one Coolmore Stud Stakes and Interpretation lines up in the $300,000 Archer Stakes over 2500 metres as he chases a last chance to get a start in Tuesday's $8 million Melbourne Cup.

"Coolangatta hasn't put a foot wrong in her career," he said. "We scratched her from the Manikato Stakes at the Valley last Saturday with this race in our mind.

"I thought she was an impressive winner of the Moir Stakes and she comes into the Coolmore with strong form behind her.

"Coolangatta will be having her first start down the Flemington straight and that's a bit of a concern because a lot of horses just don't handle the straight but I'm confident she's going to to look the winner at some stage of the Coolmore. She's a great each way chance in the Coolmore."

Bet365 have installed Coolangatta as an $8 chance in the speed test over 1200 metres down the famous straight while the James Cummings trained In Secret is the $3.80 favourite.

Interpretation needs to win the Archer to force his way into the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and Maher believes the lightly raced Irish born import is up to the challenge.

"We've got to win the Archer with Interpretation to get him into the Melbourne Cup," he said. "Without running Interpretation in the Archer he's on the borderline of getting a run in the Melbourne Cup but I don't think we can take any chances.

"I would say we're going to run in the Archer. Interpretation has only had the three runs for us and ran well on each occasion.

"I think his run in the Geelong Cup last week when he ran sixth was better then it looked on paper. We've been very happy with Interpretation's work since his Geelong Cup performance. Ben Melham rode him in the Geelong Cup and has got the mount in the Archer."

Interpretation is an $8.50 hope with Bet365 to win the Archer.

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