SPYWIRE TRIPS UP THE OPPOSITION IN THE SYNDICATE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 10, 2026

The Ciaron Maher trained Spywire renewed his very positive association with the Gold Coast track when he prevailed in a driving, highly pressurized, three-way go to take out the $1 million Magic Millions The Syndicate at the Gold Coast under a strong ride from Ethan Brown.

The four-year-old son of Trapeze Artist was racing at the Gold Coast for only the third time in his career ... and two years after he shown himself to be very talented two-year-old when he won the Two-Year-Old Gold Nugget before going on to run third behind Storm Boy and Highness in the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic a week later.

In these three Gold Coast runs alone, Spywire earned $946 800, so it has been a very happy hunting ground for him and his connections.

Inbetween his last two runs at the Gold Coast … a period of time spanning the two years from January 2024 to January 2016, which was punctuated by almost as many trials (eight) as races (eleven), Spywire won two more times … and she came into his assignment in The Syndicate fourth-up this preparation, which suggested he would have fitness on his side when the chips were down.

Spywire jumped at a starting price of $6 on the third line of betting behind Golden Boom ($3.10) and Payline ($3.20) who disputed favouritism throughout most of the betting.

Brown had Spywire quickly away and the gelding was then allowed the run of the race, settling in third early, then a close-up fourth in the sweep to the home turn as Storm The Ramparts ($9) took the field along at a good gallop.

Golden Boom, who had been racing in second place, took over the lead on straightening. He was being tracked all of the way by Spywire, but the Maher trained runner still had two lengths to make up with 250m left to run.

Spywire’s task inside the final 200m became two-fold.
First he had to reel in Golden Boom, who he duly managed to take the measure of coming through the 50m mark … and then he had to stay strong the see off the dual challenge of King Kapa ($12) and Payline, who were now finishing with menace and hitting the line hard together, running on strongly from behind.

And Spywire was good enough to do that as well … his winning margin from King Kapa being 0.49 lengths with Payline only 0.15 lengths behind the runner-up.

“Last start he threw the jockey off before the race and he was completely loose. He was in a completely different headspace that day and a completely different headspace today,” said Maher.

“We travelled him up here and he’s been staying at my brother Dec’s stable. He’s done a super job and the horse presented great.

“Browny, beautiful ride. One out one back following the favourite. You don’t get much better than that.”

And Ethan Brown commented post-race: "I was speaking to Ciaron and he said he had a bit of a bee in his bonnet last start pre-race and he probably ran accordingly.

“Today, he mapped well and the way the track was playing he was going to get a good run.

@Those horses half got to him but he dug deep late when I gave him one on the left. He was primed today. Ciaron had him in perfect order.”

More articles