The make-up of this year’s Melbourne Cup 2024 field is starting to solidify with top English rider Ryan Moore confirmed to partner the current all-in favourite Jan Brueghel in the big one at Flemington on Tuesday November 5.
Moore is the latest confirmed Melbourne Cup rider for the $8.56 million Lexus-sponsored Group 1 that takes place over the two miles as Australia’s greatest race.
Last year Moore rode Vauban to a 14th place finish when over 13 lengths off the winner Without A Fight in the 2023 Melbourne Cup results.
His biggest success in the ‘Race That Stops A Nation’ meanwhile was his 2014 win on the then German-trained raider Protectionist.
He gets the chance at a second Melbourne Cup trophy this year on Jan Brueghel for top Irish horseman Aidan O’Brien.
The currently undefeated Galileo entire races as a four-year-old down under and heads the pre-field Melbourne Cup betting markets at $7 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
The gun youngster was a narrow but impressive Group 1 St. Leger winner at Doncaster with plenty of weight last time out and looks a huge hope in Australia currently allocated 54kg in the Melbourne Cup weights.
Punters need to go right back to Martini-Henry in 1883, the first Kiwi-bred Melbourne Cup champion who came via a winning debut in the Victoria Derby just three days prior, to find the last undefeated Melbourne Cup winner.
There is plenty of early support for Jan Brueghel to be the next after Coolmore Australia confirmed the booking of Moore.
For Moore he will be riding at one of his lightest weights to secure the coveted ride.
The globetrotting hoop will also face plenty of travel with Moore tipped to partner star colt City Of Troy in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar in the US before arriving down under on Melbourne Cup eve.
Tiger Moth was O’Brien’s last Melbourne Cup starter back in 2020 with the fellow Galileo colt narrowly denied going down second in a UK-trained photo finish behind Twilight Payment ($26) prepared by O’Brien’s son Joseph.
Jamie Kah will be out to become history’s second female Melbourne Cup winning rider on Lexus Archer winner Point King, while Zac Purton flies in from Hong Kong to ride Land Legend in both the Spring Cup races for Chris Waller.
Melbourne Cup second acceptances close on Monday October 28.
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