"Circle Of Fire's turn of foot in Sydney in the lead up to his Sydney Cup win, his sectionals were very slick, and we know he runs two miles," Maher said.
"Saint George brings that same sort of form that Middle Earth has got, but it's 12 months down the track and the two miles should be no trouble for him either."
Maher said Berkshire Breeze and Interpretation had been progressing well through winter, just as Persan and Grand Promenade had done before each winning The Bart Cummings (2500m) and subsequently running well in their respective Melbourne Cup tilts.
He said both those horses would try to gain a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup by winning the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) on Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day on September 14, or the Group 3 Lexus Bart Cummings (2500m) on TAB Turnbull Stakes Day on October 5.
Maher said Middle Earth was an exciting horse.
"If you take out his last run, his form is some of the best in the world," Maher said.
"He's a very exciting horse and has been gelded since then. He's with Harry Eustace at the moment, and he's very happy with him." - Maher on Middle Earth
"Sayedaty Sadaty, he's the right sort of horse, he's a progressive stayer, improving with each run and has had the right grounding with racing over there."
Maher said a horse from 'left field' that could emerge as a Cup contender was Promises Kept who ran second in the South Australian Derby and fourth in Queensland Derby last year and has only had three runs since.
"He trialled well the other day," Maher said.
"Things would have to go right for him, but he could be that type of horse that if he's winning a country cup, Bendigo, or Geelong, hopefully he could be in there."