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Trainer Ciaron Maher confirmed plans to head to Flemington on the first Tuesday of November for the 2025 Melbourne Cup with Royal Supremacy who showed off his staying credentials with a good Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) win in Sydney on Saturday.

The five-year-old Make Believe gelding turned the tables on his last start conqueror in the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup when beating home the Chris Waller trained Soul Of Spain in the mile and a half feature on Epsom Handicap Day.

“I was pretty confident that day, so I left Newcastle with my tail between my legs,” Maher told Sky Thoroughbred Central after his The Metropolitan victory.

“This was obviously much better.”

Soul Of Spain was favourite in The Metropolitan but had to settle for second to Royal Supremacy who relished a return to his pet Royal Randwick track and a notable drop back to just 50kg.

Jockey Robbie Dolan came aboard for the ride and gave the eventual winner a perfectly timed run.

“Great steer by Robbie, and I can’t thank our team enough, Australian Bloodstock, all the other owners, fantastic,” Maher said.

“He (Royal Supremacy) just gets better with each run, he used to be a little bit aggressive in his races, but with each race, he’s starting to relax a little bit better.

“And that’s what I said to Robbie; it’s just about getting the first half right, and hopefully the second half will take care of itself.

“I’m just thrilled.”

It was a tight affair on the home straight with the key players spread right across the track.

The top fancy Soul Of Spain ($4.80F) hit the lead 300m out from the line, but Royal Supremacy ($7.50) was quick to give chase on his outside before wearing him down and drawing clear for an impressive victory.

Maher prepared two of the first three in The Metropolitan trifecta with Juja Kibo ($19) only a length off his winning stablemate in third on the quick back-up after finishing second to yet another from the team, Piggyback, in the previous weekend’s Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality.

Plans are now to try and get Royal Supremacy to extend his brilliance over two miles for a shot at the Group 1 $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4.

“He’ll probably go towards the Melbourne Cup, I’d imagine, he did a mile and a half quite well, so we’ll see if he can do two,” Maher said.

Dolan rode last year’s shock Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice to victory but could get his chance to ride Royal Supremacy in the race this year after the defending champion was ruled out due to illness.

“Racing’s a funny game, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s a real shame about Knight’s Choice, you know that little horse changed all our lives forever, but his welfare is number one and I do believe things happen for a reason,” he said.

“He (Royal Supremacy) is probably the strongest horse I’ve ever ridden, my god I was bolting at one stage, I’d say he’s a pretty talented horse because he over-raced pretty much most of the race and ran away from them.

“If he learns to relax, he’d be a serious weight-for-age horse.”

Five horses have completed The Metropolitan – Melbourne Cup double in the same year but not since Macdougal (1959).

Royal Supremacy has firmed in from $51 to $26 in futures Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.

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