Cover image courtesy of Victoria Racing Club
The G1 Melbourne Cup has been a fixture in Australian racing since Archer won the inaugural race in 1861, and although the race has evolved over the last couple of decades into a showcase for European bred horses, the race still grabs the public attention, in good and, unfortunately, occasionally in bad ways.
For 2024, there are eight races which give runners a ballot-free entry into the G1 Melbourne Cup.
| Listed Roy Higgins | March 2024 | Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) | No |
| Listed Andrew Ramsden | May 2024 | The Map (Alpine Eagle) | Yes |
| G2 Belmont Gold Cup | June 2024 | The Grey Wizard (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}) | No |
| York Ebor H. | August 2024 | Magical Zoe (Ire) (Shantou {USA}) | No |
| G3 Archer S. | September 2024 | Point King (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) | Yes |
| G3 Bart Cummings | October 2024 | Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) | Yes |
| G1 Caulfield Cup | 19th October 2024 | TBA | - |
| G1 WS Cox Plate | 26th October 2024 | TBA | - |
Gallery: The eight races that give runners a ballot-free entry into the Melbourne Cup
With two legs to go, including Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup, there are only three horses who are still in the running for the G1 Melbourne Cup after winning a ballot-exemption race. The third declaration is on Monday October 28, after the G1 Cox Plate, once all the exemption races are run.
Caulfield Cup – who is looking for a Cup spot?
Of the 18 runners for Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Cup, Huetor (Fr) (Archipenko {USA}), Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), and Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) are not in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Most of the rest are already in the top 24 of the current 55 horses remaining in the G1 Melbourne Cup. Those connections who will be hoping to grab that ballot exemption by winning and guarenteeing their spot in the big Cup are: Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Valiant King (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) and Sayedaty Sadaty (Ire) (Anodin {Ire}).
Sayedaty Sadaty – unraced in Australia
The only one of these with form unfamiliar to local punters is the previously David Simcock-trained Sayedaty Sadaty, who is now with Ciaron Maher. He comes into the Caulfield Cup directly off a third placing in the G3 Gordon S. in England over the same distance as the Caulfield Cup, behind unbeaten 3-year-old colt Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {USA}) who is in quarantine for the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Sayedaty Sadaty (Ire) | Image courtesy of Australian Bloodstock
A winner over a mile as a 2-year-old, Sayedaty Sadaty has one win from nine starts with a further five placings.
“We’ve snuck into the field which is great news for connections,” said managing owner Jamie Lovett told RSN on Tuesday. “The fact that he’s only won one race doesn’t concern me. He’s raced at a very high level this season. The Epsom Derby, the form line that’s come out of that this season is incredible. the race at Goodwood was a four-horse field, with Jan Brueghel coming from Ireland for it, and the second horse of Balding’s was one that they had a big opinion of. He wasn’t screwed right down and we were delighted with how he ran. Everything from the time we’ve entered the ownership has gone to plan.”
Sayedaty Sadaty can lead and he can settle with both his last starts over the 2400 metres but run with different patterns. He will be ridden on Saturday by Ben Thompson.
“The fact that he’s (Sayedaty Sadaty) only won one race doesn’t concern me. He’s raced at a very high level this season. The Epsom Derby, the form line that’s come out of that this season is incredible.” - Jamie Lovett
“In the Derby, they drove him out and went at a very good clip and maintained a strong gallop from the five furlongs from home and was still there when City Of Troy come up next to him and wasn’t beaten that far, albeit City Of Troy is a super star.
“At Goodwood, we rode him dead cold in a small field, to try and mix it up to see if he could relax and settle with a view to stepping up in trip.”
By Anodin (Ire), a son of Anabaa (USA), who originally stood at Haras de Quesnay for €7500, rising to €15,000 for his fourth season thanks to nine stakes winners in his first two crops, but since then, he has produced nothing much of note and in 2022 he was moved on to Haras De La Haie Neuve where his fee dropped to €4000.
Anodin (Ire) | Standing at Haras De La Haie Neuve
Six of his nine stakes winners have won over 2000 metres, however, his sole Group 1 winner King Gold (Fr) won the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over 1300 metres.
Sayedaty Sadaty is out of Galileo (Ire) mare Belle Su River (GB) who won four races up to 2800 metres, and six of her foals are winners, all over staying trips. Sayedaty Sadaty’s third dam is Champion race mare and triple Group 1 winner Hatoof (USA) (Irish River {Fr}) who won nine races from 1600 metres to 2000 metres.
Muramasa – a big call last year
Last year, jockey Daniel Moor told connections of Muramasa that he was their Melbourne Cup horse, and now he is 25th in the order for the 2024 Cup. An Australian born horse, Muramasa has done all his racing here beginning with a win on debut at Sale, and now has a record of four wins from 15 starts for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
Muramasa | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
In the spring of 2023, he won three in succession, including the G3 Coongy Cup and G3 Queen Elizabeth S. This year, he comes into the G1 Caulfield Cup off two placings in the city in Melbourne.
A $500,000 purchase by his trainers from Arrowfield Stud’s 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft, Muramasa is by Japan’s legendary sire Deep Impact (Jpn) and is the first foal of Group 2 winner Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}), herself a daughter of Group 1 winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock). Irish Lights has also produced two Listed winners in America, being Lipizzaner (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) and Just Steel (Justify {USA}).
Valiant King – Sixth in last year’s Caulfield Cup
Chris Waller-trained Valiant King ran sixth in the 2023 G1 Caulfield Cup when trained by Joseph O’Brien, and he has remained in Australia since then. He didn’t run in the autumn and wasn’t sighted again until this August when he trialled.
This campaign he has had two starts, and both look out of form. He ran last when resuming in the G3 Kingston Town S. and followed that up with a tenth placing in the G1 Turnbull S. last start. Only lightly raced, he was one win from ten starts and is Group 3 placed.
Valiant King (GB) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
While a win on Saturday to get him into the G1 Melbourne Cup would surprise, he is bred to stay. His sire Roaring Lion is a son of Kitten’s Joy (USA) and was an incredible racehorse with four Group 1 wins and was crowned England’s Horse Of The Year, but sadly died of colic after only one season at stud. Valiant King is from that single crop.
Valiant King is the second foal for Assembly (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) who won twice at a mile in the USA. Her third dam is Euphonic (USA) (The Minstrel {Can}), a Listed winning half-sister to Champion Sire Danehill (USA). The family has quality up close to Valiant King with Assembly being a half-sister to Listed winning stayer Seismic Wave (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
