A horse-by-horse guide to all of the European entrants for this year's Melbourne Cup...
Absurde (Willie Mullins)
Absurde gave Willie Mullins a historic first win at Chester when taking the 1m6½f Listed Chester Stakes on 31 August and booked a return passage to Australia for a tilt in the Melbourne Cup. Now a six-year-old, Absurde landed the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March before disappointing on his return to the flat in the 1m6f Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial – however, the Chester performance marked a notable return to form. The gelding received automatic qualification for the Melbourne Cup in 2023 after winning the 1m6f Ebor Handicap at York and managed a respectable seventh in last year's renewal.
Arrest (John and Thady Gosden)
A beautifully bred son of Frankel, Arrest started 4/1 favourite for the 2023 1m4f Group 1 Derby Stakes at Epsom Downs and failed to fire in the Classic, finishing down the field behind Auguste Rodin. A step up in trip proved key to the colt, with Arrest taking the 1m5½f Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury before a second in the 1m6½f Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Whilst he has not returned in the same glittering form as a four-year-old, the colt has still posted some commendable efforts in Group company – including a last-start second in the 1m4½f Group 2 Prix de Deauville in France.
Delius (Jean-Claude Rouget)
Delius also holds an entry in the 1m4f Group 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in early October, having enjoyed a successful three-year-old campaign. Un-raced as a juvenile, the Frankel colt remained unbeaten in his first three starts and stamped his credentials with a success in the 1m4f Group 3 Prix du Lys at Chantilly, run over the same course and distance as the Prix du Jockey Club. Although the colt was beaten into third at a short price in the 1m4f Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris on his most recent start, he remains a live contender for Group races in France during the autumn.
Grosvenor Square (Aidan O'Brien)
Grosvenor Square, a winner over 1m1f as a juvenile, introduced himself into the European staying ranks with an emphatic twenty-length victory in the 1m6f Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh in mid-August. Whilst the rest of the field may have made an error to let jockey Ryan Moore get a comfortable lead aboard the 1/2 favourite, it was undoubtedly an impressive performance and he remains unexposed at longer trips with only two runs at 1m6f.
Harbour Wind (Dermot Weld)
Harbour Wind remains unexposed as a four-year-old, having raced only five times during his three-year-old term. A twice winner in 2023, including in the 1m6f Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown, the gelding returned after a 266-day break to take the 1m4½f Listed Martin Molony Stakes at Limerick in late June and has not been seen on the track since. He clearly runs well fresh and holds currently entries for the 1m4f Group 3 Kilternan Stakes, the 1m6f Group 1 Irish St Leger Stakes and the 2m Group 2 Long Distance Cup.
Hipop De Loire (Willie Mullins)
An interesting recruit from Polish trainer Marlena Stanislawska, Hipop De Loire joined the Mullins team at the start of July as a potential dual-purpose horse for the yard. The seven-year-old gelding boasts Listed placed form in Germany staying contests and has demonstrated a good level of ability since transitioning to Ireland, placing second in a Galway maiden hurdle before reverting to the flat for a commendable fifth in the 1m6f Ebor Handicap at York.
Jan Brueghel (Aidan O'Brien)
Unbeaten in three starts, Jan Brueghel appears to be one of Aidan O'Brien's leading candidates for the 1m6½f Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Winner of a Curragh maiden over ten furlongs, the colt recorded a Group 3 success in the Dubai International Stakes over the same course and distance before taking the 1m4f Group 3 Gordon Stakes at the Glorious Goodwood meeting. He remains visually green and is expected to continue an upward trajectory for the remainder of the season.
Kinesiology (Jessica Harrington)
Unraced as a juvenile, Kinesiology is an exciting future prospect for the staying division in UK and Ireland. He recorded a maiden victory over ten furlongs at Cork in May and placed in two 1m4f Listed contests subsequently, before trying an extended distance for the first time. The colt passed the post in front in the 1m6f Listed Vinnie Roe Stakes at Leopardstown but was demoted to second for interference, having bumped the second-placed Chemistry in the closing stages.
Magical Zoe (Henry De Bromhead)
An exciting dual purpose mare, Magical Zoe earnt automatic qualification for the Melbourne Cup with victory in the 1m6f Ebor Handicap, where she justified market support to record an unusually wide winning margin of two-and-three-quarter lengths. Previously predominantly raced over hurdles, trainer Henry de Bromhead has embarked on an adventurous Flat campaign in 2024, with the mare picking up Group placed form when finishing third in the 1m6f Group 3 Stanerra Stakes against her own sex at Fairyhouse in July.
Onesmoothoperator (Brian Ellison)
Onesmoothoperator was kept very busy during the latter end of the 2023 flat season, picking up numerous wins and placings at his favoured Newcastle over the winter. The team's expert placing of the gelding resulted in a valuable success in the 2m½f Northumberland Plate Handicap at the same venue in late June, and he was kept fresh for a tilt at the 1m6f Ebor Handicap in late August, finishing seventh behind Magical Zoe. Whilst the gelding may not boast the Group form of his fellow UK and Irish trained rivals, he knows how to win a staying handicap.
Point Lonsdale (Aidan O'Brien)
Full brother to Group performer Broome, Point Lonsdale has the credentials to make a mark in the staying division but remains unexposed over longer distances. Winner of the 1m5½f Group 3 Ormonde Stakes at Chester in early May, the five-year-old dropped back to 1m4f when finishing third in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud subsequently. Whilst his debut run over two miles in the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York may not have gone to plan (favourite and finished fifth), the O'Brien team clearly feel his talents can be best utilised in a staying test going forward.
Relentless Voyager (Andrew Balding)
Gelded in August 2023, Relentless Voyager remained off the track for the remainder of the season and returned an improved horse in 2024, picking up wins and placings in valuable handicaps. He stepped up to Listed company when third in the 1m6f Listed Grand Cup Stakes at York and has since placed in the 1m4f Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood, before finishing eighth behind Magical Zoe in the 1m6f Ebor Handicap. With only two runs over 1m6f, the four-year-old gelding's potential in the staying division remains untapped.
The Equator (Aidan O'Brien)
A beautifully bred son of Group 1 winning mare Quiet Reflection, The Equator is yet to live up to his glowing pedigree, with only one maiden win from six racecourse starts. That said, the colt arguably improved for the application of first-time blinkers and a step up to 1m6f when second in the Melrose Handicap during York's Ebor Meeting and it looks like a staying career may beckon.
The Euphrates (Aidan O'Brien)
Trained as a possible Classic candidate in the first part of the Flat season, The Euphrates failed to make his presence felt at Group 1 level over 1m4f and has been campaigned well since to pick up smaller targets. He was an eye-catching winner of the 1m4f Listed Marble City Stakes at Gowran Park and finished a solid second behind Crystal Black (now ruled out of the Melbourne Cup) in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown. Breeding would suggest a step up in trip will be well-within his capabilities.
Vauban (Willie Mullins)
A return trip to Australia beckons for Willie Mullin's Vauban, as he returned to his brilliant best when recording a success in the 2m½f Group 2 Lonsdale Cup at York's Ebor Festival. The gelding enjoyed an excellent lead-up to last year's Melbourne Cup – taking the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot and the 1m4f Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes – but failed to get involved in the feature race, finishing fourteenth behind Without A Fight. Whilst the six-year-old may not be in the same form on paper as last year, his win in the Lonsdale Cup is a reminder that the son of Galiway remains very capable over two miles.
