Ciaron Maher stayer makes Melbourne Cup statement after blistering Travis Harrison Cup win
Relentless Voyager, one of four Ciaron Maher-trained stayers in the field on Saturday, settled last but sailed past the opposition 'halfway up the straight' under 61.5kg.
Dual Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Mark Zahra lauded the emphatic performance.
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'When I came off the bit he let rip and it was all over halfway up the straight,' Zahra said.
'You could definitely be closer with a better gate but he can definitely relax, which is half the trouble with a stayer and he's got a turn of foot.
'With 61.5kg then, to come from last at The Valley in the straight and to have them claimed halfway up the straight, pretty promising.
'They thought he'd want further but he was on the ball today … he's going to The Archer (next), he'll be hard to beat there.'
Relentless Voyager has a month to get over the run before The Archer on September 13 at Flemington.
The six-year-old gelding pulled up lame in the off foreleg.
Relentless Voyager returned $8.50 on Saturday.
Nellie Leylax, trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, dictated the race and threatened to pinch the event with eventual third-placed favourite Sayedaty Sadaty beaten, until Relentless Voyager arrived on the scene.
Australian Bloodstock-owned Relentless Voyager and Sayedaty Sadaty impressed assistant trainer Jack Turnbull.
'Both horses ran enormous, but he's (Relentless Voyager) starting to show his true colours now he's getting fitter, once we step to 2500m in The Archer hopefully he can improve again,' Turnbull said.
The powerhouse Maher stable has used the Travis Harrison Cup in previous years to launch or build on subsequent Cups campaigns.
Duke De Sessa placed fifth in the Travis Harrison Cup last year and eventually won the Caulfield Cup.
Turnbull said Relentless Voyager would continue to improve.
'His form is very good and he's so lightly raced in Australia,' Turnbull said.
'It's been a very good race day for us, quite a lot of our good stayers kicked off here or ran well here and I'm sure he'll be one of those in time.
'He will head to The Archer and we'll do our best to get him qualified (for the Melbourne Cup).'
Relentless Voyager (left) finishes over the top of leader Nellie Leylax. Picture: Photos via Getty Images
Sayedaty Sadaty will also head to The Archer next start, with Caulfield Cup ambitions on the horizon.
'His run was huge, the leader (Nellie Leylax) of Annabel and Rob's just slowed up a fraction and he's a vulnerable horse when you do that,' Turnbull said.
'You've got to get the revs up on him and today, staying at 2000m possibly again has probably been the difference.
'Once you see him build and pick up he's solid to the line, he's not stopping, take nothing away from Sayedaty, he was good.'
The Valley played perfectly on Saturday - the first meeting back at the track after three-month winter hiatus - with horses able to win from all positions.
Gilbert Gardiner
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Gilbert Gardiner is a sports reporter for the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun.
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