Jameka primed for rare double after Caulfield Cup triumph

"It didn't really matter how much she cost because it was all on credit," Maher said. "I just knew I had to have her and wasn't going to stop [bidding]."

The hammer fell at $130,000 and the Myboycharlie filly which would become Jameka found a home at Caulfield.

She now has a Caulfield Cup  and looks to have a Melbourne Cup at her mercy, where she is the $5 favourite. "This is one of big three and one we have ticked off," Maher said. "Everything about this preparation has been about peaking on this day and again in 17 days.

"She has improved from preparation to preparation and run to run.

"Maybe she will be better in 17 days' time; she is just that sort of horse."

Maher, the rising trainer, couldn't have dreamed of what she has done for his stable.

Jameka won a VRC Sires Produce Stakes as two-year-old, the VRC Oaks aged three and on Saturday she become the first Oaks winner to win a Caulfield Cup.

It was a special win and Jameka, the favourite, looked in control before the turn. Nick Hall had to count to 10, but by the time he would have got to five, only leader Scottish was in front him.

"On the turn I thought I had it won but I just didn't know what was behind me," Hall said.

He had settled her perfectly in the running line and could choose when to peel out and challenge. And when he did, Jameka let down and finished the race in a couple of strides. She raced clear to win by three lengths from Scottish with another import, Exospheric, closing off for third another  of a length away.

"I was remarkably calm because

I could see Nick had it under control," Maher said. I did not want to get too exciting but about the 100m

I thought, 'now we're getting into gear'."

Godolphin English trainer Charlie Appleby could only "we got beaten by a very good mare." "I'm delighted he ran up to our expectations but we ran into a very good filly," Appleby said. "Kerrin [McEvoy] rode him perfectly."

Lee Freedman was equally delighted with Exospheric, which got home for third, but it was Our Ivanhowe, which was sixth, that he pointed to as a Melbourne Cup contender.

"If Our Ivanhowe had the luck in running he would have run in the top three," Freedman said.

David Hayes was another who might not have gone home with a cup, but he had a smile with a view to the Melbourne Cup with Almoonqith.

"He went from a perfect position down the side, about fifth, to be back to last and then charged late," Hayes said.

"We have trained for the Melbourne Cup and that run just says he is right on target."