Melbourne Cup field….

[Ohokaman]

Wide open race…now we wait on the weather……️

No	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	AL RIFFA (FR)	Joseph O'Brien	Mark Zahra	19	59kg
2	BUCKAROO (GB)	Chris Waller	Craig Williams	12	57kg
3	ARAPAHO (FR)	Bjorn Baker	Ms Rachel King	15	56.5kg
4	VAUBAN (FR)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Blake Shinn	2	56.5kg
5	CHEVALIER ROSE (JPN)	Hisashi Shimizu	Damian Lane	5	55.5kg
6	PRESAGE NOCTURNE (IRE)	Alessandro Botti	Stephane Pasquier	9	55.5kg
7	MIDDLE EARTH (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	13	54.5kg
8	MEYDAAN (IRE)	Simon & Ed Crisford	James McDonald	22	54kg
9	ABSURDE (FR)	Willie Mullins	Kerrin McEvoy	4	53.5kg
10	FLATTEN THE CURVE (FR)	Henk Grewe	Thore Hammer Hansen	17	53.5kg
11	LAND LEGEND (FR)	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	16	53.5kg
12	SMOKIN' ROMANS (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Ben Melham	11	53.5kg
13	CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE)	Kris Lees	Tim Clark	24	53kg
14	HALF YOURS	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Ms Jamie Melham	8	53kg
15	MORE FELONS (IRE)	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	23	53kg
16	ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA)	Brian Ellison	Harry Coffey	6	53kg
17	FURTHUR (IRE)	Andrew Balding	Michael Dee	7	52kg
18	PARCHMENT PARTY (USA)	William Mott	John Velazquez	3	52kg
19	ATHABASCAN (FR)	John O'Shea & Tom Charlton	Declan Bates	1	51.5kg
20	GOODIE TWO SHOES (IRE)	Joseph O'Brien	Wayne Lordan	20	51.5kg
21	RIVER OF STARS (IRE)	Chris Waller	Beau Mertens	14	51.5kg
22	ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Robbie Dolan	21	51kg
23	TORRANZINO (NZ)	Paul Preusker	Ms Celine Gaudray	18	51kg
24	VALIANT KING (GB)	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	10	51kg

[We're Doomed]

I've only heard of about half of the field and most of those aren't all that flash.

[Blaird]

Two of the better credentialed wet trackers are Smokin Romins and Half Yours. What a story that would be if husband and wife were to quinella the race.

[scooby3051]

Not sure one of them is going good enough...horses I mean.

[Blaird]

Heavy track predicted as Flemington braces for deluge | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines

If it's heavy it could be a lottery.

[Peter R S]

It’s a lottery regardless!

[nomates]

Got no idea why people wet themselves over this race anymore , can't remember the last time there was a horse in it that got excited to watch .

If it rains it will be loke watching a high weight at New Plymouth in the middle of July .

[Augusta]

How behind are Aussie on this little thing... but it irks me, and I'm a male. Its how in their racing fields they put Ms Jamie Melham or Ms Kayla Crowther  or Ms Alysha Collett.  I mean, join the 21st century... They dont put Mr James McDonald. 

[Peter R S]

Remember ……

Verry Elleegant!

 

A wet track will increase the margins from first to last, not sure about your NP analogy though.

[Blaird]

13 minutes ago, nomates said:

Got no idea why people wet themselves over this race anymore , can't remember the last time there was a horse in it that got excited to watch .

Each to their own, its get me excited as it is a one-of-a-kind race. Well, it is for me anyway.

You have Aussie,UK, American and Japanese horses all with different formlines. To me it doesn't matter how good the field is or not, its a spectacle that only happens once a year.

[Bimbo]

8 hours ago, Blaird said:

Heavy track predicted as Flemington braces for deluge | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site for latest headlines

If it's heavy it could be a lottery.

Makes things easier. There are only three greys in the race.

[Idolmite]

43 minutes ago, Bimbo said:

Makes things easier. There are only three greys in the race.

Tell me who they are. I'll pick one of those. I might be able to flow it even with a cataract

[Bimbo]

43 minutes ago, Idolmite said:

Tell me who they are. I'll pick one of those. I might be able to flow it even with a cataract

Presage Nocturne, Further and Valiant King.

Dam of Presage Nocturne won its second start over a mile on a heavy track by seven lengths.

[stodge]

I don't really know about boxed trifectas and the like though I should try to enter the comp.

Had a look at the form this afternoon while lunching at the Surbiton Cafe (in Surbiton oddly enough).

On the assumption it is slow ground and I don't know what a Soft 7 means in British terms my three against the field as follows:

AL RIFFA

PRESAGE NOCTURNE

TORRANZINO

I'm quietly confident none of them will finish in the first half of the field but who knows? I doubt I will get up at 4am to watch the race over here but I'll try to get a look without knowing the result (hopefully).

[Shad]

Prestage Nocturne and Vauban for me, soft 5rsck may trip a few up

[stodge]

I'm confused - just been on the website and saying a Soft 7 but presumably there's a morning report due.

[sunlineboy]

Light rain all morning here. Soft 7 would be a great result considering.

[Mr Spyro]

Last year thought  to hell with it and backed the whole field a win, a $ 90 shot got up.   Don't expect lightning to strike twice, a bit of fun.  Have done it again with a few I like covered twice. 

[Ohokaman]

4 hours ago, stodge said:

I'm confused - just been on the website and saying a Soft 7 but presumably there's a morning report due.

Soft 6 now. Weather has fined up though chance of showers later in the day.

[Al Feilding]

On 11/2/2025 at 5:31 PM, nomates said:

Got no idea why people wet themselves over this race anymore , can't remember the last time there was a horse in it that got excited to watch .

If it rains it will be loke watching a high weight at New Plymouth in the middle of July .

Cmon even if it did rain it wou led be a banger race great day . Torranzino you ran a race.

[nomates]

4 minutes ago, Al Feilding said:

Cmon even if it did rain it wou led be a banger race great day . Torranzino you ran a race.

I watched the race and the best part was Jamie Melham post race , and I backed the winner , only bet I had and more pleased for the trainers and rider .

As usual most of the invaders shit the bed , biggest fallacy going , it would be a better race if they had less visitors and more Australasian horses .

[Bruce M]

Ex Racenet...what the jockeys said

 

1st – HALF YOURS (Jamie Melham) You play out the race in your head twenty, thirty times how you want the race to happen. I wanted to get to the rails as close as I could but we got in a nice enough spot and Ben told me, let that first wave go, that's exactly what I did, I cut through, there was a gap this big next to him and I was going to yell at him but my horse was just going too good anyway, he pulled me through the next gap, pulled me through the next gap where there was barely any room, but when a horse is going that well they just take you where you need to go.

2nd – GOODIE TWO SHOES (Wayne Lordan) Ran a wonderful race, got a nice position from my draw and she's run a cracker, just one better today but ran great.

3rd – MIDDLE EARTH (Ethan Brown) He ran great. This is obviously his trip, he showed his true colours today, he's going to be a much better horse next prep, that'll toughen him up but he couldn't have run much better.

4th – RIVER OF STARS (Beau Mertens) She was fantastic. Slow tempo didn't suit her but when Land Legend took off, it really made her relax and in a comfortable position. She travelled in really well, probably didn't have the sprint like the others but she sustained a good gallop through the line.

5th – TORRANZINO (Celine Gaudray) Couldn't be happier with the run that we got. He was a bit on the bridle throughout but he had a really tough finish.

6th – VAUBAN (Blake Shinn) He ran super. Big turnaround from the Caulfield Cup. Hit the line well but the winner and the other horse had a bit better turn-of-foot.

7th – AL RIFFA (Mark Zahra) It was ok. I was four-wide and had to find a spot to get in and there was too much to do with that weight.

8th – ABSURDE (Kerrin McEvoy) He ran well. The pace wasn't that strong through the first part, had to give them a start. He picked up into it well, good honest run.

9th – CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (Tim Clark) I thought he ran really well. Just when Land Legend went around we were in a position where we had to cart the field up which probably cost him running a few placings closer up.

10th – MEYDAAN (James McDonald) He ran well. Got into a lovely spot, switched off well but probably just found the 3200 a fraction far.

11th – FURTHUR (Michael Dee) He's very inexperienced still, he was a touch slow out, travelled very, very strong. We were getting knocked about the first time past the post but travelled strong, held up a nice gallop all the way to the line but his first half he's just raced a little bit ungenerously.

12th – ARAPAHO (Rachel King) Really brave. He hasn't had the best set up coming into today, but honest as ever.

13th – FLATTEN THE CURVE (Thore Hammer-Hansen) I found myself a lot further back than ideal but he still ran a good race considering. Just probably went too quick early doors.

14th – SMOKIN' ROMANS (Ben Melham) He ran well, the old bugger. He's just had a prep where he's probably been running on firm ground. He's got a bit soft ground and he's just a bit over it. Proud of him anyway.

15th – ROYAL SUPREMACY (Robbie Dolan) The wide barrier wasn't in his aid today, once I couldn't get cover on him he straight away he just over raced into the first bend, I had to flow with him to get him to relax and it just told late.

16th – VALIANT KING (Jye McNeil) They found their spots quickly inside me, I wasn't able to give him every chance today, he had to do it too tough three wide facing the breeze. Initially I had cover from Land Legend but when he went I was stranded.

17th – ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (Harry Coffey) He had a lovely run but when the pressure came at the six hundred, he failed to quicken, the wheels were spinning on the soft going.

18th – MORE FELONS (Tommy Berry) It was very muddling run race and it made it sort of hard to move into it early enough from where we were and he's battled on ok.

19th – PRESAGE NOCTURNE (Stephane Pasquier) A bit disappointed because he was favoured in the odds.

20th – PARCHMENT PARTY (John Velazquez) Provided no comment.

21st – ATHABASCAN (Declan Bates) Disappointing. We got deleted early and it sort of put us further back earlier than we wanted. He just hasn't quite finished off as we would have liked.

22nd – LAND LEGEND (Joao Moreira) No manners, pushed too hard. He did a lot of things wrong in the race.

23rd – CHEVALIER ROSE (Damian Lane) Disappointing. Unfortunately didn't race to his best today.

24th – BUCKAROO (Craig Williams) We know how good a horse he is but in today's race he was not far away from the eventual winner but he was three-wide on the back and basically put himself out of the race when they went slow.

[Al Feilding]

1 hour ago, nomates said:

 

As usual most of the invaders shit the bed , biggest fallacy going , it would be a better race if they had less visitors and more Australasian horses .

I agree , it did get to the stage a few years ago when when I thought they’d be as well running it at Newmarket . Maybe because I’m sixty odd years with this race it is special to me but racing itself is turning into a fallacy.

[Shad]

Interesting comments on the favourite poor run, and rider of parchment party no comment, you'd have to say that's poor form, the winner was to good on the day.

[stodge]

2 hours ago, Al Feilding said:

I agree , it did get to the stage a few years ago when when I thought they’d be as well running it at Newmarket . Maybe because I’m sixty odd years with this race it is special to me but racing itself is turning into a fallacy.

The race comes at the end of the European campaign and, combined with the journey, it's a big ask for the Europeans.

If you want fewer European horses, simple, cut the prize money in half. The first prize pot works out at £2.3 million and there's only the Arc in Europe (for which none of these horses would either be eligible or good enough) which is worth more.

Our really good horses head for the Breeders Cup at this time of year and as you've seen with ETHICAL DIAMOND, it's possible for a Cup type horse to win one of those races. That pot was £2,080,000 so comparable to the Melbourne Cup.