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FEATURE RACES
Expert analysis and runner-by-runner comments for the upcoming feature race.
AUSTRALIAN RACING
Friday, 30 October 2026
Free tips and racing information across Australia.
<p>The 2025 Melbourne Cup over 3200 metres at Flemington was worth $10 million. Half Yours arrived as the Caulfield Cup winner for Tony and Calvin McEvoy, chasing the first Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001.</p><p>Chris Waller had a large team led by Buckaroo, beaten a nose by Via Sistina in the Cox Plate, and the Bart Cummings winner Valiant King. Europe sent the Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa under top weight and Joseph O'Brien's mare Goodie Two Shoes, and the field also included runners from France, Germany, Japan and the United States. Several horses were back for another Cup, among them Vauban, Absurde, Land Legend, Onesmoothoperator, Smokin' Romans and Arapaho.</p>
Half Yours won the 2025 Melbourne Cup by 2¾ lengths from Goodie Two Shoes, with Middle Earth third.
J: Jamie Kah
T: T & C Mcevoy
| Runner | Comment |
|---|---|
| 1. Al Riffa(19) | Three-time Group 1 winner in Europe for Joseph O'Brien, most recently a dominant win in the Irish St Leger. Carries top weight of 59 kilograms. Mark Zahra rides. |
| 2. Buckaroo(12) | Ninth in last year's Cup after racing very wide. Comes through the Cox Plate, where he was beaten a nose by Via Sistina. Craig Williams rides for Chris Waller. |
| 3. Arapaho(15) | Ran in the 2022 Melbourne Cup and is back for Bjorn Baker. Rachel King rides. |
| 4. Vauban(2) | Returns for a third Melbourne Cup, now trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Blake Shinn rides. |
| 5. Chevalier Rose(5) | Japanese stayer for Hisashi Shimizu, best on a dry track. Damian Lane rides. |
| 6. Presage Nocturne(9) |
French stayer for Alessandro Botti. Stephane Pasquier rides. |
| 7. Middle Earth(13) | Ciaron Maher's stayer, racing in blinkers. Ethan Brown rides. |
| 8. Meydaan(22) | Ran on late in the Caulfield Cup after a troubled run. James McDonald rides for Simon and Ed Crisford. |
| 9. Absurde(4) | Willie Mullins' stayer, back for another Melbourne Cup. Kerrin McEvoy rides. |
| 10. Flatten The Curve(17) | German stayer for Henk Grewe. Thore Hammer-Hansen rides. |
| 11. Land Legend(16) | Back for another Melbourne Cup for Chris Waller. Joao Moreira rides. |
| 12. Smokin' Romans(11) | Nine-year-old who ran in the 2022 Melbourne Cup. Ben Melham rides for Ciaron Maher. |
| 13. Changingoftheguard(24) | Trained by Kris Lees and ridden by Tim Clark. |
| 14. Half Yours(8) | Won the Naturalism Stakes and ran fourth in the Turnbull Stakes before winning the Caulfield Cup on only his 15th start. Jamie Melham rides for Tony and Calvin McEvoy. |
| 15. More Felons(23) | Back for another Melbourne Cup for Chris Waller. Tommy Berry rides. |
| 16. Onesmoothoperator(6) | Brian Ellison's British stayer, 12th in last year's Cup after winning the Geelong Cup. |
| 17. Furthur(7) | British stayer for Andrew Balding, used to racing in smaller fields. Mick Dee rides. |
| 18. Parchment Party(3) | American stayer for Bill Mott, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. |
| 19. Athabascan(1) | Withdrawn from last year's Cup and back for John O'Shea and Tom Charlton. Declan Bates rides. |
| 20. Goodie Two Shoes(20) | Joseph O'Brien's dual-purpose mare, with three strong staying wins from her last four starts in Ireland. Wayne Lordan rides. |
| 21. River Of Stars(14) | Improved sharply stepping up to 2400 metres in the Caulfield Cup and stays well. Beau Mertens rides for Chris Waller. |
| 22. Royal Supremacy(21) | Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Robbie Dolan. |
| 23. Torranzino(18) | Trained by Paul Preusker and ridden by Celine Gaudray. |
| 24. Valiant King(10) | Won the Group 3 Bart Cummings two starts back, then finished fastest of all for third in the Caulfield Cup. Carries a light weight. Jye McNeil rides. |
