Melbourne Cup

Michel Monfort, the man responsible for breeding this year's G1 Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) (video), has described his graduate as "a warrior." Monfort bought Gold Trip's dam Sarvana (Fr), a daughter of Dubai Destination, before mating her with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Outstrip (GB), who now stands in Brazil having spent six seasons at Dalham Hall. The resulting foal turned out to be Gold Trip, who made €60,000 at the Arqana August Sale from the Haras de Grandcamp draft to Gerard Larrieu. Gold Trip...

America's Day at the Races, produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in conjunction with FOX Sports, will present live coverage of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup on Monday, Oct. 31. Monday's America's Day at the Races broadcast will begin at 10:30 p.m. Eastern and will provide viewers with handicapping insights and analysis leading up to the 162nd edition of the "race that stops a nation." Featuring 24 horses racing over 3,200 meters (1.98 miles) at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia, the Melbourne Cup is an annual highlight...

Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}--Opulence {NZ}, by Danroad {Aus}), the darling of Australian racing with 11 top-flight successes under her belt in that jurisdiction, has been retired following her run in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot on British Champions Day. The 7-year-old won all of her Group 1 races for Chris Waller before being transferred to Francis-Henri Graffard this summer in preparation for an audacious European campaign, which was focused around the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Last year's G1 Melbourne Cup winner did...

Connections of the Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) have bolstered their chances of winning the race that stops a nation by securing the services of local jockey Kerrin McEvoy. A three-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider, McEvoy, who has a close relationship with Deauville Legend's owner Bon Ho, will take over from regular rider Daniel Muscutt. Trainer James Ferguson has arrived in Australia early to see his former inmate and breakthrough Group 1 scorer El Bodegan (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) tackle Saturday's Cox Plate on debut for Chris...

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly...

He has been crowned British racing's best broadcaster of the year an astounding eight times but Nick Luck remains as hungry as ever. From talking about the success of his daily podcast, the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, revealing that he will make his Melbourne Cup debut this year and providing his own thoughts on the major issues affecting British racing, Luck makes for fascinating reading in this week's Q&A. Brian Sheerin: You sat down with Lee Mottershead for the Big Read in the Racing Post almost two years ago. A...

One thousand winners and counting. Joseph O'Brien passed yet another important milestone in his training career on Saturday when Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) became his 1,000th winner in the opening seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh. And what style it was achieved in. Al Riffa, who emerged as a major eye-catcher when staying on for second in a Curragh maiden last month, showed the benefit of that initial outing to confirm himself a potential top-notcher in the making. It was just over six years ago when O'Brien enjoyed a...

An exciting career awaits in Australia but, before Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB) (Territories {Ire}) joins Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott down under, he will be prepared by George Boughey for an ambitious tilt at the St Leger at Doncaster.  Trained by Andrew Balding to split Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at Epsom, Hoo Ya Mal was subsequently snapped up by his new connections for a whopping £1.2million at the Goffs London Sale.  While races like the Melbourne Cup are what Hoo Ya Mal...

Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) could make her first European start in August as her new trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed he is considering a bid for the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville. A sensation in Australia, Verry Elleegant won 11 Group 1 races--including the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup--under the care of Chris Waller before it was announced in May that she would continue her career in France.  The G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Fillies & Mares Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot were...

G1 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will join Francis Graffard in France with a view towards targeting the major races in Europe this season, the connections of the Australian ace have announced. An 11-time Group 1 winner, Verry Elleegant has netted her connections over £8 million and was described by Chris Waller, the man who managed her glittering career in Australia, as an "honour" to be associated with. The statement from the ownership group was released on Thursday, and it read, "Being part of a champion racehorse...

Team Valor and Gary Barber's Spanish Mission (Noble Mission {GB}) has survived a last-minute veterinary scare to be given the all-clear to line up for Tuesday's G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup, for which he has drawn stall 14.  Trained by Andrew Balding, the 5-year-old was found to have swelling in a leg on Friday but has subsequently been passed fit by the Racing Victoria vets. With Craig Williams booked to ride, Spanish Mission is second-favourite for Australia's most famous staying contest behind the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise (Aus) (Shamus Award...

Ismail Mohammed's G1 Goodwood Cup runner-up Away He Goes (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) has been ruled out of the Nov. 2 G1 Melbourne Cup with a tendon injury. The 5-year-old gelding, who is owned by Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, was second to the star stayer Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) in the July 27 Goodwood Cup prior to finishing seventh in the Ebor H. Earlier in the season, he had hit the board in Meydan's G2 Dubai Gold Cup. "To some extent it was good that it was picked up so early but...