Black-Type Analysis: Valiant King Can Keep International Rivals at Bay in Melbourne Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

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}), More Felons (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), Onesmoothoperator (Dialed In), Furthur (Ire) (Waldgeist {GB}), Parchment Party (Constitution), Athabascan (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), Goodie Two Shoes (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Royal Supremacy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Torranzino (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}), Valiant King (GB) (Roaring Lion).

TDN Analysis: This year's Melbourne Cup will be televised in over 200 territories, with 'the race that a stops a nation' being broadcast on Sky Sports Racing in Britain and Ireland (04:00 GMT) and on FOX Sports 2 in the U.S. (23:00 ET on Monday). Japanese raider Chevalier Rose and American hope Parchment Party give the latest edition even more of an international flavour than in some years, albeit both feature among the likely outsiders in a 24-strong field. Al Riffa, on the other hand, holds outstanding claims of providing young Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien with a third Melbourne Cup success since 2017, having shaped like this trip would play to his strengths when last seen running away with the Irish St Leger. The returning Absurde, who was seventh in 2023 and fifth last year, is another leading Irish-trained contender as he tries to complete a remarkable double for Willie Mullins and the H O S Syndicate following Ethical Diamond's win in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf. French-based trainer Alessandro Botti saddles another of the market leaders in Presage Nocturne, while Simon and Ed Crisford's Meydaan and Brian Ellison's recent Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner Onesmoothoperator join the three-year-old Furthur in a three-pronged attack from Britain. Absurde and Meydaan were last seen finishing seventh and ninth, respectively, in the Caulfield Cup, which could hold the key to the home challenge. Half Yours will be trying to emulate Without A Fight, the first horse for 22 years to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double in 2023. However, preference is for the former Joseph O'Brien trainee Valiant King, who finished a never-nearer third at Caulfield and is now much better off at the weights with the winner over a trip he promises to relish. [Adam Houghton].

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