Flemington

by Kit Gow/TTR AusNZ The mighty eight-year-old mare of Yulong struck again on Saturday at Flemington when felling all before her in the G1 Champions Stakes. Master tactician Chris Waller had faith in his star galloper despite a developing bog track and she dutifully delivered a 2 3/4-length victory. Second last as they entered the home turn in the 2000-metre event, it wasn't hard for James McDonald to pick a path out wide for Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) and send the mare hurtling to the front when the pack parted...

Tuesday, Flemington, Australia, post time: 15:00 (04:00 GMT/23:00 ET {Monday}), LEXUS MELBOURNE CUP-G1, A$10,000,000, 3yo/up, 16fT Field: Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Arapaho (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), Chevalier Rose (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Presage Nocturne (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion), Meydaan (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Absurde (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Flatten The Curve (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Land Legend (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), Smokin' Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines {Aus}), Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Half Yours (Aus) (St Jean {Ire}),...

Parchment Party (Constitution) is poised to become the first American-trained runner in the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday, November 4, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez again booked to ride after partnering the 'TDN Rising Star' to a wide-margin victory in June's GII Belmont Gold Cup Stakes. The Bill Mott-trained Parchment Party was one of 120 nominations for the Melbourne Cup published on Tuesday, with his emphatic win at Saratoga earning him an automatic spot in 'the race that stops a nation'. Leigh Jordon, executive general...

Total prize-money for the 2025 edition of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup has been increased to A$10 million - up from A$8,560,000 in 2024 - with every runner in the race guaranteed to pocket at least A$100,000 just for taking part. In addition, the G3 Geelong Cup and G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup have been added to the list of ballot-exempt races, meaning the winners will earn a guaranteed spot in 'the race that stops a nation'. Last year's Geelong Cup was won by the Brian Ellison-trained Onesmoothoperator. "The Lexus...

by Kristen Manning/The Thoroughbred Report Extreme Choice (Aus) made history in the 2024 G1 Melbourne Cup by siring the longshot Knight's Choice (Aus), who stunned as Australia's top stayer. For Sheila Laxon, the first official female trainer to win a Melbourne Cup with Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm) in 2001, this victory marked a triumphant return to Flemington with her husband, John Symons. Owners Cameron Bain, Richard and Kaye Waldron watched their A$85,000 purchase become a A$5.8 million champion, realising breeder Norm Bazeley's vision, who originally acquired Knight's Choice's dam, Midnight Pearl...

Aidan O'Brien's Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been ruled out of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup after failing a pre-race veterinary check. The unbeaten St Leger winner had been among the ante-post favourites in his quest to provide O'Brien with a first victory in 'the race that stops a nation' at Flemington next week, but Ballydoyle will now be without a runner in the race as a result of the ruling made by the Racing Victoria Stewards. A statement from Racing Victoria said, "Racing Victoria Stewards, acting on specialist...

Brian Ellison's Northumberland Plate winner Onesmoothoperator (Dialed In) put himself in contention for a tilt at the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup with an emphatic victory in the G3 Geelong Cup on Wednesday. Four horses have completed the Geelong Cup-Melbourne Cup double, with the first being Dunaden (Fr) for Mikel Delzangles in 2011. Onesmoothoperator needed to pick up a penalty at Geelong to be guaranteed a run at Flemington on Tuesday, November 4, but Ellison can now look forward to saddling another runner in 'the race that stops a nation' after...

Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}), the beaten favourite in last year's G1 Melbourne Cup, is reported to have settled in well at the quarantine facility in Werribee as he warms up for a second assault on the race on Tuesday, November 5, with connections hoping the busier campaign he's had in 2024 will ensure that he arrives at Flemington in peak condition. Trained by Willie Mullins, Vauban was having his first start for three months when finishing down the field behind Without A Fight (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in 2023, but this...

World Pool will be part of the G1 Irish St Leger Day at the Curragh on Sept. 15 for the first time, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. It is one of three race meetings the globally commingled pools will be active at across the world that weekend, joining G1 Irish Champions Day on Sept. 14 and Makybe Diva Stakes Day at Flemington in Australia earlier that same day. With this addition, the entire Irish Champions Weekend will be part of the World Pool for the first...

The Lexus Melbourne Cup will be at Naas Racecourse during the €300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes Day, on Monday, Aug. 5. Besides celebrating the iconic Australian race, the course will also venerate the legacy of Kildare man Robert Cooper Bagot, whose contributions helped shape one of the world's greatest races, and the experience of the Melbourne Cup. "The Race That Stops a Nation" will be run for the 164th time this year, and will offer prize-money of A$8.4 million. The trophy itself is valued at A$750,000. The trophy travels 110,000...

Kicking off the World Pool meetings, last weekend's Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington drew HK$133.4 million (approx. A$26.6 million) in wagering. The card consisted of five races from Flemington combined with four from Newmarket and one, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano, from San Isidro. Defending G1 Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip took the featured G1 Turnbull S. The combined Win pool on the five World Pool races (A$6,545,489.82) was almost nine times the combined pool on the five non-World Pool races with the Victorian tote ($743,831.06). Meanwhile, the combined Duet (Quinella...

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) will contest the A$5-million G1 Cox Plate in the colours of Ozzie Kheir next month, Racing.com reported on Friday. Bred by Trevor Stewart and trained by Aidan O'Brien for Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the colt is currently traveling to Australia where he will spend his two-week quarantine in Melbourne. O'Brien will continue training the son of G3 Abernant S. and G3 Charge Sprint S. victress Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})...