It is the Lexus Melbourne Cup, which takes place as the seventh race in Flemington. Post time is 11:00 PM ET, and this two-mile event has drawn a strong field of 24 runners competing for a $6.6 million ($10 million Australian) purse. We’ll take a look at a few here and offer our top picks!
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Buckaroo the 2025 Melbourne Cup favourite
We don’t have to look far to find the morning line favorite. That is #2 BOKKAROEwho are 3-1 ahead of Monday’s main event. Stretching out to two miles for this event, this six-year-old gelding is a familiar sight in Group 1 action. Most recently he was beaten by just a nose in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, another of Australia’s biggest races.
Trainer Chris Waller sends this one out (as well as four other runners). Waller, one of Australia’s power conditioners, is best known as Winx’s trainer, and has won this race once before (with Verry Elleegant in 2021). However, while this player’s talent level should be respected, the distance is a real question mark. A season ago he was a distant ninth in this race.
If not Buckaroo, then who?
Another top candidate that stretches in distance is #14 HALF OF YOUwho last won the Group 1 Sportsbet Caulfield Cup a few weeks ago. He will do his best if he is late, and there must be enough speed to chase. There are several Caul Cup runners registered here. Second place #21 RIVER OF STARS and third place finisher #24 VALIANT KINGamong other things will try to turn the tables.
Among the international shippers is #1AL RIFFAthis year’s highest weight of 130 pounds. Joseph O’Brien’s trainee is coming off back-to-back wins at The Curragh in Ireland, including a four-length romp in Group 1 Irish St. Leger in September. Three starts ago he was second at Royal Ascot behind the great Rebel’s Romance, who was second in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday in his bid for a third victory in that race.
Speaking of the Turf, trainer Willie Mullins pulled off a shock in that race with Ethical Diamond, and he has a shot in the Melbourne Cup. He will saddle #9 ABSURDwhich comes in quite light at just 118 pounds. He gets a driver change to Kerrin McEvoy (three-time winner of this race), and at the very least the distance shouldn’t beat him.
Finally, there is an American presence at this year’s renewal. #18 PARCHMENT PARTY comes from the Bill Mott barn. He qualified for the Melbourne Cup with a two-back score in an off-the-turf extra time of the Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga. He followed that up with another win in the Birdstone STakes (also long on dirt at Spa). Additionally, Kentucky Downs enthusiasts may recognize it #10 COMPLETE THE CURVEwho recently annexed that course’s 2 1/16-mile Mountain Dew Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational. He runs for the German trainer Henk Grewe.
Melbourne Cup 2025 selections
I don’t want any part of Buckaroo for its likely short price. He better go shorter than this distance, and while it is possible he runs well, others interest me more.
Al Riffa has to take a big weight into account, but his recent races have been very good. It stretches for a quarter of a mile, but that’s not as much as Buckaroo, so I’m not really against it. Joseph O’Brien has won this race twice before, and I think he has the race to beat this year at Flemington.
I will use too Half of you also, because the Caul Cup seems like a live race. Finally, ignoring Willie Mullins seems like a mistake after what happened in Del Mar on Saturday, so I’ll look into it Absurd.
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