Photo:

Courtesy Sky Racing World

Buckaroo will try to wrangle 23 rivals in Monday night’s Melbourne Cup, when he starts as the favorite in Australia’s famous two-mile handicap. The 164th edition of the Melbourne Cup will be contested before a 100,000-plus crowd at Flemington, but the race that stops a nation is celebrated throughout the far reaches of the land. In a nation of fewer than 30 million people, no fewer than 30 racetracks will stage a live race day to coincide with the Melbourne Cup. Flemington’s first post is 6:45 p.m. EST, 3:45 PST, with the Melbourne Cup set as race 7 of 10, with post time set for 11 p.m. EST, 8 p.m. PST.

For all the swagger implied by his name, it took a gelding operation to elevate Buckaroo’s performances to the elite realm. After being brought to Australia by Joseph O’Brien in October last year, Buckaroo transferred to champion trainer Chris Waller but only teased topline ability. If Buckaroo was too bullish, gelding him has proved the recipe for success.

After Group 2 and Group 1 victories in September, he ironically went to a higher level in defeats. A narrow second to subsequent Cox Plate winner Via Sistina, now Timeform’s highest-rated horse in the world, was followed by Buckaroo’s first attempt at 1 1/2 miles, in the Caulfield Cup (G1). Despite early trouble, he charged home for an outstanding runner-up finish in what is historically the most productive prep race for the Melbourne Cup.

Doubts exist over his capacity to handle two miles, but Buckaroo deservedly heads the market, albeit having eased from 4-1 to 9-2 after drawing an extremely wide post position. Buckaroo’s dam, the Galileo mare Roheryn. has left her stamp globally in 2024. She has produced three other winners: Middle Earth was an English Group 3 winner, Siege of Troy won in Ireland before finishing third in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs and her first foal, the 7-year-old Kihavah, notched a handicap win in Scotland.

Irish trainer Willie Mullins is chasing redemption with a pair of high-profile flops from last year’s Melbourne Cup. Vauban finished an inglorious 14th as 9-2 favorite, while stablemate Absurde was seventh at 8-1, after hitting the front at the quarter pole. The horses’ odds will be similar this year, but the master Irish conditioner has differed his approach following the disappointment of 2023. Mullins changed the timing of their travel to Australia. Riding tactics will potentially be altered after both horses were too close, too early, to a hot pace last year.

Mullins is also adamant that neither Irish horse handled the 87-degree temperature, and is encouraged by this year’s forecast high of 79. Vauban, considered the classier of the pair, was a Group 2 winner at two miles in August at York and most recently finished second to the magnificent Kyprios at level weights in the Irish St. Leger (G1). Absurde, who successfully mixes jumps racing with flat racing, is mentally more mature for his second attempt at the Melbourne Cup.

The US$5.6 million purse attracts many of Europe’s stoutly-bred marathon horses. Only five of the 24 starters began their careers in Australia, which has become a melting pot of diverse equine origins. Three starters hail from New Zealand, one from Japan, three from France, four from Ireland and eight from England.

Two recent arrivals made smashing Australian debuts: Onesmoothoperator (7-1) and Sea King (9-1) each soared towards the top of the Melbourne Cup market by easily winning Group 3 races at 1 1/2 miles. Two longer-priced imports worth considering are Interpretation (16-1), who was an unlucky 6th in the 2023 Melbourne Cup and a meritorious last-start second behind Onesmoothoperator and Saint George (30-1), the least experienced horse in the field who was Group 2-placed at Royal Ascot in 2023 in just his fifth start. The grey stallion has caught my eye in a couple of his four local prep races following a 13-month layoff and represents a worthwhile investment.  

Melbourne Cup day is just the second of four programs at Flemington in a week: the Victoria Oaks (G1) headlines Wednesday night’s action, while Friday night’s card will feature an encore by the aforementioned Via Sistina, in the wake of her track-record demolition of the Cox Plate (G1).

The Flemington card will be broadcast on FanDuel TV on Monday night with first post at 6:45 p.m. EST, 3:35 p.m. PST alongside cards from Randwick, Eagle Farm and Ascot.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael’s vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders’ Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

Coverage of Flemington for Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.