There aren’t too many races which would persuade British and Irish trainers to send their valuable charges to the other side of the world, but the Melbourne Cup isn’t just any old race. The jewel in the crown of Flemington Racecourse, the “race that stops a nation” never fails to attract runners from far and wide, with the 21st century seeing winners from Britain, Ireland (three times), Japan, France (twice), and Germany.
The 2024 edition looks set to continue this cosmopolitan trend, with a host of international challengers gearing up for a tilt at the A$8m+ in prize money on the 5th of November. British and Irish yards have claimed the top spot three times in the past seven years, and if the betting market is any guide, they may add to that tally, with the following runners expected to make the trip Down Under.
Vauban
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Sire: Galiway
- Big Race Wins: Spring Juvenile Hurdle (2022), Triumph Hurdle (2022), Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle (2022), Copper Horse Handicap (2023), Ballyroan Stakes (2023), Lonsdale Cup (2024)
Sent off as the 9/2 favourite in 2023, Vauban put in a laboured effort to finish only a well-beaten fourteenth. Undeterred, Mullins appears likely to send the Rich Ricci runner for a second crack at a prize he has not yet won during his illustrious career. Out of sorts in his first three outings this term, he bounced back with a win in the Lonsdale Cup and may be peaking at the right time.
Giavellotto
- Trainer: Marco Botti
- Sire: Mastercraftsman
- Big Race Wins: Yorkshire Cup (2023,2024), Princess Of Wales’s Stales (2024)
Too good for Vauban in the Yorkshire Cup back in May, Marco Botti’s stable star followed up with an impressive win in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at the Newmarket July Festival. He’s zero from three in his overseas assignments to date and is yet to win over two miles, but is in the form of his life at present.
Tower Of London
- Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- Sire: Galileo
- Big Race Wins: Red Sea Turf Handicap (2024), Dubai Gold Cup (2024), Curragh Cup (2024)
Joseph O’Brien has claimed this pot twice, but the prize has eluded his legendary father. Bidding to change all that in 2024 is this son of the mighty Galileo. Barring an inexplicable flop behind Giavellotto at York, Tower Of London has displayed excellent form this season to land Group class contests in Riyadh, Meydan, and Ireland. Proven at the distance, he looks like a dangerous contender.
Magical Zoe
- Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
- Sire: Shantou
- Big Race Wins: Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle (2022), Ebor Handicap (2024)
Like Aidan O’Brien, Henry De Bromhead has yet to win Australia’s greatest race. In most seasons, it is not an event he targets as much as some of his contemporaries, but Magical Zoe may have forced his hand this time around. A classy operator over hurdles, with two solid efforts at the Cheltenham Festival, she appeared equally well suited to the flat when storming home to land the Ebor Handicap in August. That win guaranteed her a place in the field should connections wish, and it would be a surprise if they resisted the temptation and riches on offer.
Middle Earth
- Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
- Sire: Roaring Lion
- Big Race Wins: Aston Park Stakes (2024)
With Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Saudi Cup, and Dubai Sheema Classic wins on his CV, John Gosden is no stranger to success on the international stage. However, he has yet to land a major Australian event. What better place to start than with the biggest one of all? Middle Earth has long hinted at being suited by this sort of test but has yet to tackle two miles and needs to bounce back from a desperate effort in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes. Perhaps a recent gelding operation will help spark him back to life.
Harbour Wind
- Trainer: Dermot Weld
- Sire: Nathaniel
- Big Race Wins: Vinnie Roe Stakes (2023), Martin Molony Stakes (2024)
Dermot Weld created the template for overseas success in the Melbourne Cup when saddling Vintage Cup to victory in 1993. That effort made him the first European trainer to claim gold, and he repeated the trick with Media Puzzle in 2002. 22 years on, Harbour Wind bids to make it three for the veteran handler. A dual Listed winner, he caught the eye when finishing well for second in the 1m7f Group 2 Prix Chaudenay on his final start in 2023 and limbered up for this with a solid Listed success over an inadequate trip at Limerick.