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The Sydney Cup during Randwick’s ‘The Championships’ is calling for the Ciaron Maher-trained Mr Monaco who has firmed into outright favouritism for the two-mile classic following his tough 2026 NE Manion Cup victory on Saturday.

While stablemate Juja Kibo started best in betting for this year’s Group 3 $250,000 NE Manion Cup (2400m) early on the Golden Slipper Day program at Rosehill, it was Mr Monaco who showed more guts and staying prowess to dig deep and earn his spot in the Sydney Cup field on April 11.

“Before the race, they both looked like they would really relish the trip,” Maher told Sky Thoroughbred Central after preparing two of the first three over the line in the NE Manion Cup trifecta.

“Juja looked like he got the softer run.

“Monaco did it the tough way, but we knew he’d improve up to the mile and a half.

“Fantastic result. He’s en route to the Sydney Cup now.”

The Territories five-year-old made it back-to-back victories this prep coming off a lead-up Randwick win over 2000m on February 28 to relish a rise in distance and to his strong mile and a half record.

Ridden by the flying Zac Lloyd, Mr Monaco ($5.50) dropped notably in weight from 57.5kg at his latest to carry just 53kg to a narrow but convincing victory in the NE Manion.

Lloyd had the progressive stayer settled sixth on the turn for home stalking the speed before he came hard down the outside to hold off the fast-finishing roughie Taramansour ($31) in a 0.19 length win, while Juja Kibo ($3.70) held for third as the beaten favourite off an on-speed run.

“He’s a strong stayer,” Lloyd said of the NE Manion Cup winner.

“He went to the gates quite freely with me so I didn’t want to really begin and give him much of a message because I thought that that could be a bit detrimental.

“So I tried to begin and just flow into a spot.

“Ultimately, they sort of didn’t go very quick and never really created many gaps for me, so I just had to ride what I was given and he got into a lovely rhythm.

“Still a tough ask to do so, he’s a strong stayer.

“I think that’s going to be right up his alley considering he probably ran about 3,000 today, so he’s ready to go.”

No horse has completed the NE Manion Cup / Sydney Cup double in the same year since The Offer (2014) but the money is coming for Mr Monaco to break the drought and salute in the $2 million feature next month.

He has firmed in from $26 to $6 to sit top of the all-in Sydney Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au, with Maher confident the horse will see out the 3200m and is unlikely to need another run between now and his grand finale.

“We’ll just see. I wouldn’t think, given how tough he is today and how well he’s stayed, he probably wouldn’t need another run,” Maher said.

“But we’ll just see how he comes through. But, no, fantastic result. Louis Lemaitre and Blue Bloods. Big day, great result.”

Jockey Craig Williams was also full of post-race praise for the stable’s third placed Juja Kibo who is also Sydney Cup bound as an $11 shot at time of publish through Ladbrokes.com.au.

“He ran super today. Really gallant performance,” he said.

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