Internationally bred runners again dominate the 165th Melbourne Cup field with the Joseph O’Brien trained Al Riffa heading the weights with a hefty 59kg.

A youthful O'Brien, son of the legendry Irish trainer Aidan, already has two Melbourne Cups in his Trophy cabinet plus a Cox Plate from only a handful of runners in Australia.

This year he is represented by the much-touted Al Riffa, part of whom has recently changed ownership for a large sum in a bid to win another Cup for local owners.

With five wins from 15 starts, Al Riffa has built up an impressive record coming into the Cup. He has raced in Ireland, UK, France and the US in a brief racing career to date, however all five wins have come in Ireland, the most recent an impressive performance in the Irish St Leger, a race that has been used as a major lead up to the Cup previously.

However, it would be difficult to find a more impressive St Leger performance in the last 10 years, Al Riffa winning pretty much as he liked by a widening four lengths margin earning him a Timeform ratings of 125.

Al Riffa defeated the highly promising three-year-old Amiloc who went into the race unbeaten, He had won his previous five starts including the King Edward Stakes at Royal Ascot at his start prior.

Then the third placed Al Qareem, some eight lengths astern of Al Riffa, further elevated the St Leger form coming off that run to easily win the Group Three Cumberland Lodge Stakes by six lengths over 2400m at Ascot.

Prior to the St Leger win, Al Riffa had been equally as impressive taking the St Leger Trial by five lengths and that effort had followed a second placing at the Royal Meeting at Ascot behind globetrotting staying star Rebel's Romance.

Al Riffa also won the Group One Grosser Preis Von Berlin in German in August of 2024.

A scan of Al Riffa's form book reveals excellent form against some of the best stayers in training from Europe and Japan such as Derby and Coral Eclipse Stakes winner City Of Troy, Prix Ganay winner Sosie, Japan Cup runner up Shin Emperor and Arc winner Ace Impact.

It is not surprising then that the Handicapper has awarded him top weight of 59kg – a weight that has not been carried to victory in the Cup since 1969 when Rain Lover lumped 60.5kg to win his second Cup. Before that, the mighty New Zealand stayer Rising Fast carried 59.5kg to win in 1954.

The overall record of horses to win the cup with 59kg or more is a sobering statistic, just seven in total in 174 years.

While that presents a formidable challenge, Al Riffa comes into the race with the right credentials, coming off a new peak rating in the St Leger plus he will have the services of dual Cup winning rider Mark Zahra.

Al Riffa will be having his first Australian run today which is normally a negative however Joseph O'Brien's two previous Cup winners Rekindling and Twilight Payment had similar preparations.

The Caulfield Cup is normally the best lead up to the Melbourne Cup delivering 6 winners and 12 placings in the last 25 years. This year the race looks quite interesting from the Melbourne Cup viewpoint.

Caulfield Cup runner up, the imported mare River Of Stars, has been steadily finding her best European form since joining Chris Waller's stable earlier this year.

In a brief two run first preparation she ran a creditable third in the 3200m Sydney Cup before being spelled, to fully acclimatize, as is customary with Waller-trained imports.

This campaign should be her best in Australia and in four runs this preparation she has continued to make further improvement posing a new career peak Timeform rating of 115 in the Caulfield run.

That effort was full or merit. For the first time this campaign she was ridden up on the speed and she showed her clear staying ability staying on strongly all the way up the straight, beaten just under a length.

River Of Stars European form clearly demonstrates her best form is over staying distances of 2400m and beyond. Those credentials are perfect for her assignment today.

Already proven over those distances in Australia, River Of Stars ranks as one of the better light weight chances and possesses a perfect profile for Cup winners coming off a peak rating after four campaign runs.

River Of Stars has raced against Presage Nocturne twice previously, in the Caulfield Cup where she finished ahead of her French rival and behind him in the Prix Gladiator at Longchamp over 3100m in 2024. However, at the weights today she has a clear advantage on both runs.

Stable mate Valiant King a surprise winner of the Bart Cummings over 2500m two runs back when blinkers were used for the first time, continued that excellent form with an eye-catching run from the rear of the field on the home turn running to a Timeform rating of 110, two pounds shy of his Bart Cummings figure.

It should be noted that Valiant King was held up for clear running at the 400m at Caulfield adding further merit to the run yet he still reeled off the fastest sectionals of any runner in the race.

There is no doubt Valiant King will be better suited back to the 3200m at Flemington but it is worth noting that he had been unplaced in two previous Caulfield Cup runs, however it is fair to say he has now reached a new level this season.

Chris Waller's late decision to thrust narrow Cox Pate runner-up Buckaroo into the Cup field adds another dimension to the race at the top end of the weights.

Buckaroo's form in four runs this preparation has been the best since arriving in Australia at the end of 2023.

All four runs have been in Group One WFA company – the top echelon of racing class.

Last start in the Cox Plate he just failed to grab stablemate Via Sistina, where he posted a new career peak Timeform rating of 125, up a pound from his previous peak when second in last year's Caulfield Cup. This is clear indication of just how well this galloper is going so it comes as no surprise that Waller would again give him a second chance in the Melbourne Cup.

Last year he finished ninth, some three and a half lengths from the winner when having his sixth run from a spell. Today will be his fifth run but he rises to 57kg from 54.5kg last year.

Interestingly Waller, who relies on historical trends to place his horses, has given Buckaroo almost exactly the same preparation that his 2021 winner Verry Elleegant had – four lead up runs all in Group One races, then a big drop in class back to Handicap conditions in the Melbourne Cup, albeit with a big weight. And like Buckaroo, Verry Elleegant had been unplaced in the Cup the year prior but also rose 1.5kg in weight to win the Cup.

Incidentally in recent times, the Cox Plate has also proven to be an excellent lead up to the Cup providing the Cup winner six times and four placings in the last 25 years.

One of the better runs in the Caulfield Cup was French raider Presage Nocturne who caught the eye running on strongly from worse than midfield into fourth place.

A proven stayer over 3000m in France, this fellow ran to a new career peak Timeform rating of 122.

Presage Nocturne  has excellent form in France around the 3200m distance and Saturday's race will clear away the cobwebs and have him primed for another peak performance in the Melbourne Cup.

Prior to coming to Australia, Presage Nocturne had been narrowly beaten in the Kergorlay at Deauville over 3000m, a race that has been successfully used as a stepping to the Melbourne Cup by previous winners Americain and Protectionist. Plus, the form from this year's Kergorlay has already been franked in France.

Presage Nocturne is another strong chance coming into the race off a new career peak.

The Simon and Ed Crisford trained Meydaan is an interesting runner and last start had little luck in the Caulfield Cup finishing ninth beaten almost five lengths. However, that run was several lengths below his best overseas form.

Prior to the Caulfield Cup, Meydaan had finished third over 2400m at Kempton behind Hong Kong International Vase winner and fourth placed Arc runner Giavellotto with the classy Kalpana, a subsequent winner of the G1 F&M Championship in second place.

That performance earned Meydaan a Timeform rating of 122, however he was below form in the Caulfield Cup running to 113.

Meydaan has raced against some of the better stayers in Europe and has always been around the money so a much better effort can be expected today.

Interestingly he holds an advantage over Meydaan having beaten him home twice from as many match ups – The Caulfield Cup and Queens Vase at Royal Ascot.

Impressive Moonee Valley Cup winner Onesmoothoperator stormed back into Cup calculations with a near last to first win showing devastating turn of foot to reel in the leaders close to home, winning with something in hand.

That was his first run in 62 days but fitness was never an issue but he will be on a quick 11 day back up into the Cup.

Last year he was an impressive winner of the Geelong Cup but failed to make an impression at Flemington eventually running 12th beaten over five lengths.

Today he carries 2kg more weight but his Moonee Valley win was a couple of pounds better than the rating he ran last year at Geelong so maybe he is a slightly better horse this year.

The Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours was impressive coming with a strong run in the closing stages to win narrowly.

He rises an additional 2kg above his originally allocated 51kg after receiving a penalty, resulting in just half a kilo rise on his Caulfield winning weight.

That keeps Half Yours in the frame here, however horses that finished behind him will meet him on better weight terms.

Enjoy a fascinating contest in a most unusual year.