Mr O’Ceirin, second in the Naturalism Stakes last year, went one better at Caulfield on Saturday and earned himself a start in the Group One Caulfield Cup.

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In a slowly run 2000m race, Mr O’Ceirin ($7.50) defeated the Peter Moody-trained Kesampour ($12) by a length.

The Mick Price-trained foreign import Bit Of Hell ($20) returned to form to grab third, a further 1-1/4 lengths away.

Mr O’Ceirin’s trainer Ciaron Maher said the race was run to suit his horse.

“He has got good residual strength and he was strong to the line,” Maher said.

He said it was a great thrill to have a runner in the Caulfield Cup.

“He was second here last year so it is good to get him in,” Maher said.

“He deserves his chance.”

Maher is now looking for a lead-up race to the $2.5 million Caulfield Cup and is thinking about starting Mr O’Ceirin in the Caulfield Stakes.

Boss said the pace of the race was almost “ridiculous”.

“When we got to the top of the hill it was almost too slow,” he said.

“But he found another gear in the last 100 metres.”

Maher had two others horses in the race – Moudre who finished sixth and $101 chance Sahara Sun who came in 13th.