Australian jockey Mark Zahra will take the ride aboard Joseph O'Brien's Al Riffa in the Melbourne Cup, with connections preferring the experience of Zahra over regular rider Dylan Browne Mcmonagle.

McMonagle has ridden Irish staying star Al Riffa on all but three of his fifteen career outings, most recently recording a four length victory over Amiloc in the Group 1 Irish St Leger.

It was a first success for Al Riffa in the colours of Australian Bloodstock, headed by Jamie Lovett, who have an excellent record of purchasing European horses for the Melbourne Cup.

In an interview with the Australian publication Betsy, Lovett said: "In my view and a few others, Zahra is probably the best two-mile rider, the best staying rider we've got.

"And obviously, a lot of the connections have got a good relationship with him, so it just made sense."

"That said, I feel sorry for the kid [Browne McMonagle]. I mean, he's rode him very well. He's always been on the horse in Ireland, so it wasn't easy to make the decision, but I think history shows that the local guys tend to have a better strike rate.

"There's not many Ryan Moores of the world that you can drop them anywhere and they ride up to a very high standard.

"I think the biggest thing, in my view, is knowing the horses to follow and the jockeys to follow. If you don't know the form and the local riders, it's a long two miles around Flemington and if you get it wrong, it can cost you a Melbourne Cup."

"So it's just important to have the guys that know the track inside out and it's a very unique race, the Melbourne Cup."

"And I always say to people, if you're looking for someone who can perform on a big stage, you look at [Zahra's] ride on Without a Fight [in 2023 Melbourne Cup]. I think it's one of the best rides I've seen in a Melbourne Cup."

Local rider Mark Zahra won back-to-back Melbourne Cups on fellow European purchase Gold Trip and Without A Fight in 2022 and 2023.