Melbourne Cup Runners 2025: Al Riffa heads weights for Joseph O'Brien as final field is set

The 2025 Melbourne Cup takes place in the early hours of the morning UK time on Tuesday, 4th November and the full field of 24 has been confirmed. Carrying top-weight will be Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa, the recent Irish St Leger winner at the Curragh and the overall favourite for the race.

A son of the late Wootton Bassett, the five-year-old is a three-time Group 1 winner, but has excelled since stepping up to 1m6f the last twice, winning by a combined nine lengths across his two starts. He will be looking to give his trainer a third win in the race and the first for a visiting nation in five years.

O’Brien will not be solely reliant on him though, as Goodie Two Shoes is also guaranteed a run. Owned by JP McManus, the mare has been a revelation on the flat this season, twice winning at Listed level, then stepping up to win a Group 3, all between 1m6f-2m. She could prove a useful backup.

Plenty more British and Irish runners are set to be involved. Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator has been here before, finishing 12th a year ago having won his prep race down under. He has done that again this season, taking the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup last week, but is higher in the handicap this time around.

For Andrew Balding, Furthur is the only three-year-old taking part. He claimed the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury prior to finishing sixth in the St Leger, but may well possess the required stamina, as may Meydaan for Simon & Ed Crisford. The four-year-old son of Frankel was only ninth in the Caulfield Cup after travelling over to Australia, but may strip fitter and improve for the 2m trip.

Willie Mullins is the other Irish trainer represented, as Absurde looks for Melbourne Cup glory at the third attempt. Seventh and fifth in the last two renewals, he remains similarly weighted, but is consistent across all codes and likely to give his running. 

Extending to Europe more broadly, Presage Nocturne is a strong fancy for France. The five-year-old acclimatised to Australian conditions when fourth in the Caulfield Cup and is a former Group 3 winner over 1m7f in his homeland. There is also rare German interest courtesy of Flatten The Curve for Henk Grewe, who has made it into the field. He has won four of his previous five races, three of those at 2m, so could be an intriguing each-way option too. Across the other side of the globe, Chevalier Rose is a Japanese contender, though currently well out of form.

There are no former winners in the 2025 edition, but a number of familiar names stand out among the home team. All of Buckaroo, Vauban, Middle Earth, More Felons (when known as Scriptwriter) and Changingoftheguard won significant races when trained on these shores, the first-named having gone off favourite for this when only ninth a year ago, the second-named similarly when 14th for Willie Mullins in 2023.

All of Half Yours, Parchment Party, Torranzino and Valiant King have claimed “win and you’re in” contests to earn their places. The latter pair do so from the foot of the weights, with Valiant King having impressed to win a Group 3 handicap for Chris Waller before finishing third in the Caulfield Cup, won by Half Yours. Parchment Party meanwhile, is a very rare runner for the United States.

making up the field are Arapaho (Bjorn Baker), Land Legend (Chris Waller), Smokin Romans (Ciaron Maher), River Of Stars (Chris Waller), Athabascan (John O’Shea & Tom Charlton) and Royal Supremacy (Ciaron Maher).

2025 Melbourne Cup Runners