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Good gate for Half Yours in open Melbourne Cup

Race favourite draws favourably in Tuesday’s Cup at Flemington.

HALF YOURS winning the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup at Caulfield in Australia.
HALF YOURS winning the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup at Caulfield in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

In a long and successful training career, Tony McEvoy is a step closer to achieving his Melbourne Cup dream.

His Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours drew barrier eight which has seen the gelding retain outright favouritism in Tuesday's 3200-metre Group 1 feature at Flemington.

Half Yours leads the betting at $6 in the 24-runner event that has five horses under the $10 mark.

"What this barrier allows us to do is not make any decisions," McEvoy said.

"At Caulfield we were chasing him a little bit to ride Caulfield, but with Flemington you can be patient.

"If you draw 20 or 24, you're out there but in the back quarter. We can be midfield and be patient and that is the beautiful thing about a good barrier."

Of the other fancies, the Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo drew barrier 12 with stablemates Valiant King in 10, River Of Stars in 14, while rougher chance More Felons has gate 23.

"It is a great result as you take a risk when you've got a genuine weight-for-age contender," Waller's assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said of Buckaroo.

"We could go to other options but we're rolling the dice and going in the Melbourne Cup.

"Hopefully he can get a more economical run than last year."

Racing and Sports expert Trent Crebbin said most of the leading fancies would be relatively happy with their draws.

"Especially the Waller pair of Buckaroo and Valiant King," Crebbin said. 

"Buckaroo covered far too much ground from 20 last year and 12. This year's race looks more suitable. 

"Top jockeys Mark Zahra (Al Riffa) and James McDonald (Meydaan) will have decisions to make from 19 and 22 respectively, especially with nearly a full minute of racing before they reach the first bend."

Valiant King holds the second line of betting at $7 with Buckaroo at $8 and the Joseph O'Brien-trained Al Riffa at $9.

Ciaron Maher has three runners, one of which is Smokin Romans who will now carry 54-kilos after jockey Ben Melham was given permission to ride the horse ½-kilo over the allotted weight.


Racing and Sports

Flemington

Tuesday, 04th November 2025

7
ET

Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 112lbs Type: OPEN
2 m TURF SOFT
7

(local)
AUD $10,000,000
2 m SOFT

Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 112lbs Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 14. HALF YOURS (AUS) 5yo G
ST JEAN (IRE) - LA GAZELLE (AUS)
JAMIE MELHAM
TONY & CALVIN MCEVOY
$9
53kg
Kildalton Park Racing (Mgr: D Gordon), J B Biasin, D J Canny, G M Fox, Mrs G M Smith, J M Simmons, N B Smith, P R Farley, S M George, Terrace No 3 (Mgr: R H Allert) & A Guoga

Sales Information

2nd 20. GOODIE TWO SHOES (IRE) 6yo M
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - FITS LIKE A GLOVE (IRE)
W M LORDAN
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
$41
51.5kg
J P McManus
3rd 7. MIDDLE EARTH (GB) 5yo G
ROARING LION (USA) - ROHERYN (IRE)
ETHAN BROWN
CIARON MAHER
$26
54.5kg
Madica, M Johnston, Deg Racing, Porter Pelchen Bloodstock Qatar Bloodstock Ltd, A Kheir, Sneesby Racing No Whip Required, B P Fisher, T A Ginnane, D J House, A S Ingersole, L H Mckenzie, G A McLaren, D J O'Connor, B L Shannon, P A Vawdrey, P G Walsh, Middle Earth & Collendina Legends
4th 21. RIVER OF STARS (IRE) 6yo M
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - AMAZONE (GER)
BEAU MERTENS
CHRIS WALLER
$19
51.5kg

Sales Information

5th 23. TORRANZINO (NZ) 6yo G
TARZINO (NZ) - GOLDILICIOUS (NZ)
CELINE GAUDRAY
PAUL PREUSKER
$31
51kg

Sales Information

6th 4. VAUBAN (FR) 7yo G
GALIWAY (GB) - WALDFEST (GB)
BLAKE SHINN
GAI WATERHOUSE & ADRIAN BOTT
$21
56.5kg
7th 1. AL RIFFA (FR) 5yo H
WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) - LOVE ON MY MIND (IRE)
MARK ZAHRA
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
$8
59kg

Sales Information

8th 9. ABSURDE (FR) 7yo G
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - INCROYABLE (USA)
KERRIN MCEVOY
WILLIE MULLINS
$19
53.5kg

Sales Information

9th 13. CHANGINGOFTHEGUARD (IRE) 6yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - LADY LARA (IRE)
TIM CLARK
KRIS LEES
$61
53kg
10th 8. MEYDAAN (IRE) 4yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - NEZWAAH (GB)
JAMES MCDONALD
SIMON & ED CRISFORD
$26
54kg
11th 17. FURTHUR (IRE) 3yo C
WALDGEIST (GB) - DANAMIGHT (IRE)
MICHAEL DEE
ANDREW BALDING
$41
52kg

Sales Information

12th 3. ARAPAHO (FR) 8yo G
LOPE DE VEGA (IRE) - ALZUBRA (GB)
RACHEL KING
BJORN BAKER
$31
56.5kg

Sales Information

13th 10. FLATTEN THE CURVE (FR) 6yo G
ZARAK (FR) - LAILOMA (FR)
THORE HAMMER-HANSEN
HENK GREWE
$21
53.5kg

Sales Information

14th 12. SMOKIN' ROMANS (NZ) 9yo G
GHIBELLINES (AUS) - INFERNO (NZ)
BEN MELHAM
CIARON MAHER
$61
53.5kg

Sales Information

15th 22. ROYAL SUPREMACY (IRE) 4yo G
MAKE BELIEVE (GB) - ADELASIA (IRE)
ROBBIE DOLAN
CIARON MAHER
$31
51kg

Sales Information

16th 24. VALIANT KING (GB) 5yo G
ROARING LION (USA) - ASSEMBLY (USA)
JYE MCNEIL
CHRIS WALLER
$9
51kg

Sales Information

16th 16. ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) 7yo G
DIALED IN (USA) - SUENO D'ORO (USA)
HARRY COFFEY
BRIAN ELLISON
$41
53kg

Sales Information

18th 15. MORE FELONS (IRE) 6yo G
CHURCHILL (IRE) - PIVOTALIA (IRE)
TOMMY BERRY
CHRIS WALLER
$41
53kg

Sales Information

19th 6. PRESAGE NOCTURNE (IRE) 5yo H
WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) - KYUREM (IRE)
STEPHANE PASQUIER
ALESSANDRO BOTTI
$5.5
55.5kg

Sales Information

20th 18. PARCHMENT PARTY (USA) 4yo H
CONSTITUTION (USA) - LIFE WELL LIVED (USA)
JOHN R VELAZQUEZ
WILLIAM I MOTT
$61
52kg

Sales Information

21st 19. ATHABASCAN (FR) 6yo G
ALMANZOR (FR) - ALZUBRA (GB)
DECLAN BATES
JOHN O'SHEA & TOM CHARLTON
$71
51.5kg
22nd 11. LAND LEGEND (FR) 5yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - LANDIKUSIC (IRE)
JOAO MOREIRA
CHRIS WALLER
$61
53.5kg

Sales Information

23rd 5. CHEVALIER ROSE (JPN) 7yo H
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - VIANE ROSE (FR)
DAMIAN LANE
HISASHI SHIMIZU
$51
55.5kg
24th 2. BUCKAROO (GB) 6yo G
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - ROHERYN (IRE)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
CHRIS WALLER
$14
57kg