I will be relying on these four to play a significant part in the finish of the $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.
1 Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip x Sarvana by Dubai Destination)
Gold Trip's pedigree does not scream 2 miles, but we have unbounded faith in Ciaron Maher and David Eustice.
Gold Trip (FR) is a son of Exceed And Excel's Outstrip (GB), who was never asked to go further than a mile, the distance of his Group 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf triumph.
Outstrip (GB)now stands in Brazil after starting his career at Darley's Dalham Hall.
Carrying the colours of 2014 Melbourne Cup hero Protectionist (GER), Gold Trip (FR) earned top weight despite winning just one of 15 starts but has rubbed shoulders with the best.
A €60,000 purchase at the 2018 Arqana August Yearling Sale, Gold Trip (FR) has performed with distinction since being beaten a head at his career debut at Deauville on October 24, 2019.
His only win came in the Group II Prix Greffulhe (2200m) at Lyon Parilly in 2020. He was third in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) at Longchamp, behind subsequent Hong Kong International Vase (2400m) winner Mogul and Arc runner-up In Swoop.
The curtain came down on his three-year-old season when fourth, beaten two and a half lengths behind Sottsass in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) on a heavy track at Longchamp.
Gold Trip (FR) made just three starts at four in 2021, placing in the Group 1 Prix Ganay (2100m) at Longchamp on May 2 and Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m) on July 4 before heading to Australia.
All five of his runs in Australia have been full of merit, including his luckless ninth in the Cox Plate and second in the Caulfield Cup when conceding the winner Durston 6kgs.
Gold Trip's dam Sarvana (FR) is a daughter of the 5-season Darley shuttler Dubai Destination (USA), who was a moderate success, but his daughters have certainly left a mark. They are headed by the Triple Group 1 winner Postponed (IRE), Helmet's dual Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow, Epsom Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn, and William Reid Stakes winner Silent Sedition.
Besides Gold Trip (FR), Sarvana is the dam of stakes-placed Got Wind (Olympic Glory). She is a half-sister to Sarkiyla (Oasis Dream), a Group III winner for the Aga Khan who stretched out to 2000m when second to Romantica in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet.
2 Deauville Legend (IRE) (Sea The Stars x Soho Rose by Hernando)
Bon Ho's Deauville Legend (IRE) has been on a single-minded mission to the Melbourne Cup and is a worthy favourite.
It has been a rapid progression for the 3yo gelding who made two starts at two. His classic season began with a maiden win at Windsor, then failed by a head behind Godolphin's talented Dubawi colt Secret State in the King George V Handicap (2400m) at Ascot.
It was then on to Newmarket, capturing the Group III Bahrain Trophy (2600m) on July 7. Two weeks later, he was second to subsequent Group 1 English St Leger (2900m) runner-up New London in the Group III Gordon Stakes (2400m) at Goodwood, with a neck back to the Waterhouse-Bott Melbourne Cup hope Hoo Ya Mal in third.
Deauville Legend (IRE) prepped for his Australian trip with an impressive win in the Group II Great Voltigeur Stakes (2400m) at York, where he turned the tables on Secret State with El Bodegon four lengths adrift in third. El Bodegon franked the form with his third to Anamoe in the Cox Plate.
Trained by James Ferguson (IRE), Deauville Legend was a €200,000 purchase for Avenue Bloodstock at the 2020 Arqana Deauville Select Sale.
He is a brother to the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu and Group II Goodwood Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Sea La Rosa out of the Listed Dresden Grosser Sachsischer Herbstpreis winner Soho Rose (Hernando).
Soho Rose is a sister to Hanami, who won the Group II Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
3 Without A Fight (IRE) (Teofilo x Khor Sheed by Dubawi)
How can you not respect a horse with seven wins and seven placings from 17 starts?
Simon and Ed Crisford bring Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s 5yo gelding over in top order. His season began in Dubai, where he was nosed out by Baaeed's brother Hukum in the Group II Dubai City of Gold (2400m) at Meydan in March.
Outclassed in the Group 1 Sheema Classic (2400m), Without a Fight returned home to finish third in the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes (2400m) at Newbury. Still, better things were in store for Hukum, who slammed Pyldriver by four and three-quarter lengths in the Group 1 Coronation Cup (2400m) at Epsom.
Without A Fight won his next two, the Listed Grand Cup (2800m) and the Group II Silver Cup (2800m), both at York.
Without a Fight prepped for the Melbourne Cup with a second in the Listed Godolphin Stakes over a mile and a half at Newmarket.
Bred by his owner, Without A Fight is a son of Teofilo (IRE), who has sired the Melbourne Cup winner's Cross counter and Twilight Payment.
Teofilo's six seasons in Australia were happened by less-than-ideal fertility. Averaging less than 60 live foals a crop, the son of Galileo left some top performers like Happy Clapper, Palatino, Humidor, Sonntag, and Kermadec, who has a top-notch Melbourne Cup contender in the 4-time Group 1 winner Montefilia.
Without a Fight (IRE) is out of the stakes-winning Dubawi mare Khor Sheed, a half-sister to Group 1 Longchamp Prix d'Ispahan winner Prince Kirk (Selkirk).
Best Outsider. Emissary (GB) (Kingman x Soviet Moon by Sadler's Wells)
You would go nuts trying to follow his form, but Emissary (GB) is coming off a massive win in the Group III Geelong Cup.
The son of Kingman was a 350,000gns purchase for Armando Duarte / Ballymore Stables Australia / Paul Moroney Bloodstock from the Juddmonte consignment at the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
His half-brother Workforce (King’s Best) won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Epsom Derby in 2010.
Emissary (GB) was allowed to emulate his half-brother in the 2020 Derby at Epsom, but he beat just one home. He was 18 lengths behind the winner Serpentine, who lines up as a $101 chance on Tuesday.
A son of the gifted miler Kingman (Invincible Spirit), Emissary (GB) is out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Soviet Moon, a sister to Group 1 St Leger winner Brian Boru and Listed winner Kitty O'Shea, a three-quarter sister to three-time Group III winner and Group 1 Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Sea Moon (Beat Hollow), and a half to Group II winner Moon Search (Rainbow Quest).
