As summer turns to autumn, the major international events begin to stride onto the racing stage. The 5th of October is the date in the diary for the crown jewel of the European scene, as Longchamp stages the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while eyes turn stateside on the 31st of October for the always-spectacular Breeders’ Cup Festival.
Three days after the Breeders’ Cup draws to a close, the focus of the racing world turns Down Under for one of the most famous races on the planet. First run in 1861, the Flemington Racecourse showstopper of the Melbourne Cup continues to captivate fans from far and wide.
Offering a huge A$10 million prize pool, the two-mile contest is the most valuable handicap in the world. Such riches ensure the race attracts not only the best of the Australian staying stars, but also those from much further afield – including hopefuls from the yards of British and Irish trainers. With three winners in the past eight years, runners making the longest of all international trips have tasted considerable success in recent years. With 14 of the current 120 entries hailing from British or Irish yards, there is a fair chance that this record will improve in 2025.
O’Brien’s Group 1 Star Tops Irish Entry
There aren’t too many races in which Joseph O’Brien holds the edge over his father, Aidan. However, Joseph’s two Melbourne Cup victories are two more than those achieved by the most successful Group 1 trainer of all time.
Rekindling has won the 2017 @emirates #MelbourneCup for Joseph O’Brien and the Williams family for the second consecutive year pic.twitter.com/SDrb1Zbf2a
— Racing Victoria (@RacingVictoria) November 7, 2017
Having landed the prize with Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020), Joseph is tied with Dermot Weld as the most successful European trainer in the history of the great race. In 2025, the following duo remain in contention as the 32-year-old bids for a record-setting triumph.
- Al Riffa – With wins in the 2022 National Stakes and 2024 German Derby, this son of Wootton Bassett is a dual Group 1 winner. The step up to two miles poses a question, but he suggested stamina may be his strong suit when storming to victory in the Group 2 Curragh Cup over 1m6f. Set to line up in the Irish St Leger on 13 September, he will follow the route taken by Twilight Payment ahead of his 2020 victory. Recently purchased by two-time Melbourne Cup-winning owners Australian Bloodstock, he boasts the strongest claims of the O’Brien duo
- Goodie Two Shoes – Going in the colours of JP McManus, this six-year-old mare needs a few to come out to make the final field. Whilst yet to hit the heights of Al Riffa, she is proven at this trip, having claimed the Listed His Majesty’s Plate over two miles in May
Closutton and Ballydoyle Giants also Represented
The market suggests Joseph O’Brien is the most likely to claim the prize for Ireland, but Al Riffa and Goodie Two Shoes are but two of nine Irish runners remaining in the field.
Aidan O’Brien endured a frustrating Melbourne Cup experience in 2024, with Jan Brueghel forced to withdraw on veterinary grounds – a decision the Ballydoyle maestro strongly disagreed with. Undeterred, O’Brien has three remaining among the current entries. The general consensus is that St Leger favourite Scandinavia is unlikely to make the trip, but Dee Stakes winner Mount Kilimanjaro and the unexposed Aftermath are intriguing contenders.
Much like Aidan O’Brien, Melbourne Cup success likely features high on the wish list of National Hunt titan Willie Mullins. Having twice missed the target in recent times, Mullins relies on 2024 fifth Absurde and Ebor sixth Hipop De Loire this year.
Joseph O’Brien may be grabbing much of the attention, but he isn’t the only European trainer seeking a third Melbourne Cup victory in 2025. Having created the blueprint for others to follow with Vintage Crop in 1993 and added a second win with Media Puzzle in 2002, Dermot Weld also has two runners remaining among the current entries.
Both Duraji and Harbour Wind are among the outsiders and must improve on all known form. On the plus side, Duraji’s best effort came last time out when keeping on for fourth over 1m6f at Goodwood, while Harbour Wind boasts three wins at Listed level and an excellent second in the Group 2 Prix de Chaudenay on his CV.
Epic Success for O’Meara?
Charlie Appleby was the most recent trainer to bring the trophy back to Britain, when claiming the 2018 edition with Cross Counter. The odds suggest that the seven-year wait for a British winner is unlikely to end in 2025. However, double-figure prices will do little to dent the dreams of the following five contenders.
- Epic Poet – This globetrotting star from the yard of David O’Meara has already registered significant wins in Britain, France, and Meydan. Could he add Australia to the list?
- Furthur – A Melbourne Cup triumph would cap another fine year for Kingsclere handler Andrew Balding. In the unexposed Geoffrey Freer Stakes winner, Furthur, he may have the horse to spring a shock
- Tabletalk – Newmarket’s Tom Clover takes a first shot at Melbourne Cup gold with this son of Camelot. At home on quick turf and a dual winner at 1m6f+, he is one of the more interesting outsiders
- Onesmoothoperator – Having finally handed Brian Ellison a win in the Northumberland Plate, anything else Onesmoothoperator does at the track will be a bonus. Now seven years old, he won the Geelong Cup in grand style before finishing twelfth in the 2024 Melbourne Cup and will follow the same route this year
- Meydaan – Named for success on Arabian rather than Australian soil, this Simon & Ed Crisford-trained son of Frankel has four top 3 efforts at Listed level or above but needs to prove he stays this far.
With France, Germany, and Japan also represented, plus a first-ever US Melbourne Cup runner in the William Mott-trained Parchment Party, the 2025 edition of the Race That Stops a Nation is all set to be a classic.