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Man-of-the-moment Joseph O'Brien could run ten in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, with St Leger hero Highwayman set to join the trainer's army heading for Australia following his dominant Doncaster display under history-maker Saffie Osborne.
O'Brien has already won the Melbourne Cup twice and is going all out in search of a third success in the world-famous race. The 33-year-old told the Racing Post a team of ten is being aimed at the A$10 million (£5.3m/€6.2m) showpiece at Flemington on November 3.
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That will go down like a LEAD BALLOON - with the AUSIES.
O'Brien has already won the Melbourne Cup twice and is going all out in search of a third success in the world-famous race. The 33-year-old told the Racing Post a team of ten is being aimed at the A$10 million (£5.3m/€6.2m) showpiece at Flemington on November 3.
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That will go down like a LEAD BALLOON - with the AUSIES.
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Replies: 33
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How much to put ten in a plane Doon under
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If so, he'd be irresponsible, unsporting and taking the mickey. One does not turn up at a non-family wedding with the entire family. It's just courtesy and a respect to the host.
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Baby Joseph.
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A long way to go yet, there are 101 nominations, weights are out tomorrow, first declarations not until the 29th, 2nd 13th October, 3rd 26th October and the final decs 31st October.
Further opportunities for horses and connections to receive ballot exemption at Flemington include the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) on Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day Saturday 12 September, and the Group 3 Lexus Bart Cummings (2500m) on TAB Turnbull Stakes Day, Saturday 3 October. The Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m), both be held at Flemington this year will be run on Saturday 24 October. Outside of Flemington, the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), and Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) in October also offer ballot exemption. A long way to go yet. |
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The Breeders Cup Meeting seems to be different. I've not noticed a trainer with multiple runners in the same race. A restriction imposed?
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Hard/impossible for punters to sort out two of his, let alone ten. Still it will give him a chance to clock up at least another 9 losers. He'll be proud of that stat.
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At it since day one. Not content with 2 Melbourne cups in his 20s lol - impossible even for an aussie trainer - he wants to rub their noses in it again. No class. No shame. And I ain't fooled by him.
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Thwy have racing in ireland destroyed , irish racing like lottery now with nappy , they win either way , blake is rolling in it too
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Blake knew the right man to team up with. Endless free publicity as well.
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Slight over reaction here dont you think. As TT says there is a long way to go and a lot of racing to be done.
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Cannot bring vegtables into Aus
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Free advertising.
Say anything and the newspapers and websites repeat it. |
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Bart Cummings wouldn't have been too happy.
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They've cheapened everything else..why not melbourne cup next
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For any of you that are really seriously interested in the race itself, here are the full allotted weights:
https://dxp-cdn.racing.com/api/public/content/2026-Lexus-Melbourne-Cup-Elimination-Order-Sep-17-9119838.pdf?v=53c230ff |
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End of the season fling for millionaire owners and trainers…
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As you can see, four from the O'Briens failed to pass the first ballott clause.
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formoftheace17 Sep 26 14:15Joined: 17 Apr 12 |
End of the season fling for millionaire owners and trainers… What an idiotic statement from someone who obviously doesnt take the game seriously. |
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Mics
The have racing in ireland destroyed , irish racing like lottery now with nappy , they win either way , blake is rolling in it too Nothing much for small trainers in Ireland. All there is now is people pre-training. About four years years ago I did a calculation. I divided the total prizemoney in Ireland by the numbers of runs (not runners or races) and did the same for France. For every Euro 1.00 in Ireland it was Euro 3.55 in France (bigger prizemoney in each race and fewer horses). I had a horse that ran in France as a 3yo and 4yo, made good prizemoney. In July 2026 I was offered money for him and accepted. That horse is heading to Australia (surprise, surprise he is not heading to Ireland to compete for peanuts). Last week my 2yo shipped Rosslare to Cherbourg, went to a pre-trainer, and is learning. Who wins? Coolmore, Ballydoyle, Owning Hill, Closutton, Coolcullen. Who loses? Everyone else. |
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Tiger Tiger 17 Sep 26 14:21
formoftheace17 Sep 26 14:15Joined: 17 Apr 12 | End of the season fling for millionaire owners and trainers… What an idiotic statement from someone who obviously doesnt take the game seriously An overated handicap tbh….. |
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 Oh dear, says it all really. |
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Tell me otherwise ? I’ve heard plenty of ‘ pros ‘ who think likewise tbh….
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Breeders Cup or Melbourne ? Breeders by a country mile….
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How many Melbourne Cup winners have you had Tiger (punting)….?
Over 4 decades i backed one Vintage Crop …. How many breeders ? Myself dozens over the piece tbh… |
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Prize money for this years race, not to be sniffed at, if you finish last you get Aus Dollars 100,000 (53K)
1st $4,500,000 2nd $1,110,000 3rd $560,000 4th $360,000 5th $240,000 6th-12th $160,000 13th-24th $100,000 Winning Trainer gets more than £260,000 as his share Winning Jockey gets £120,000 More than £5.3m in total prize money. And some plonkers think that its just an 'overated handicap' |
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Prize money is irrelevant tbh…..it’s good,very good but it’s still an overated handicap…..prestige,stops a nation…..
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Australia richest handicap…..
Ebor…UK richest handicap…… Enjoy…. |
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It's a race that stops the nation in Aussieland perhaps similar to our Grand National at one time. Nevertheless, the race is still a handicap, a prestige handicap - end of. Personally, the race is no different to the 'petrol currency' races held annually in Meydan or Riyadh. The prize monies could be the best in the world, but not the best or highest rated horses in the world run there either.
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The Grand National comparison is a good one.
The trouble for the Melbourne Cup is that if European trainers repeatedly farm the race, it will lose its attraction to the Australian people. And Europeans can farm the race because most Australian horses don't really get the trip. Their stayers aren't as good as our stayers, just as their sprinters are better than ours. Mind you, even Euro-horses are hard pushed for stamina these days. It's really only Coolmore/Ballydoyle keeping our end up. |
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I was living in North Sydney when Vintage Crop won.
This "race that stops a nation" business is an absolute croc of the highest order. Apart from my local TAB in Lane Cove being a bit busier than a usual midweek afternoon nobody seemed too bothered or even knew it was on. Appalling aftertiming but I told the folks at work and the cricket club V.C. was a good thing !  |
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Same is true of the Grand National these days, and the Derby. Few care or even notice anymore compared with yesteryear.
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Takes a lot of cash to take a horse to compete in the Melbourne cup surely Joseph will know which ones are best h'capped and have the best have chance of winning, to take one that he knows cant beat 2/3 of his others will be a waste of money for their owners.
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Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday in Victoria not elsewhere.
Yes it is a mere handicap (to racing snobs). I was there in 2003 when it was the record crowd, 122,736. Believe it or not I did not see one horse, the crowd was too big to get near the racecourse. I went there the following few days and each day it was a good card, busy attendance but good viewing. Would I prefer to watch a Group 3 at Naas or the Melbourne Cup at Flemington? No contest. |