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An eight horse strong international challenge dominates pre-race discussion of the AU$7.75 million G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
The group is headed by Anthony Van Dyck and Tiger Moth , trained by 364-time Group 1 winner Aidan O'Brien, and his pair, on Monday (2 November), were vying for favouritism ahead of former O'Brien galloper Sir Dragonet who won the G1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Mooney Valley on debut for local training partnership Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Since Vintage Crop's historic win in 1993, trained by O'Brien's compatriot Dermot Weld, northern hemisphere trained horses not only boast a further seven wins in the race but have also had an additional sixteen runners-up, several of whom were either unluckily or narrowly beaten.
The visitors have won five of the past ten Melbourne Cups. They filled the first three placings in 2017 and 2018 and finished second, third and fourth - each within a half-length of the winner Vow And Declare - last year.
The Danny O'Brien-trained Vow And Declare returns to defend his title but rises 11lb on his 2019 weight and only four horses have won back-to-back Cups in Australia's most famous race which was first run in 1861.
Last year's runner-up Prince Of Arran, who was also third in 2018, also returns for British trainer Charlie Fellowes. The eight-year-old was an eye catching fourth in the G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on 17 October and seeks to emulate Fiorente who won the Cup in 2013 after finishing second 12 months earlier.
The 2019 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck similarly impressed in the Caulfield Cup with a strong finishing second and will be partnered by Hugh Bowman - well known for his partnership with champion mare Winx and his major race success in Hong Kong and Japan.
While five of the eight international winners have had a lead-up run in Australia en route to the Cup, Cross Counter joined Rekindling and Vintage Crop as a winner at their Australian debut.
This year's international challenge also includes two runners prepared by Aidan O'Brien's son Joseph who won with Rekindling. O'Brien junior is represented by Master Of Reality and Twilight Payment. Stratum Albion (Willie Mullins), Dashing Willoughby (Andrew Balding) and last Saturday's G3 Lexus Hotham Stakes (2500m) winner Ashrun - prepared by 2014 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Andreas Wohler - complete the international line up.
"The way he ran on Saturday, he should have a very good chance of being in the money," Wohler said of Ashrun who is drawn widest in gate 24.
Tiger Moth is next to him in 23 but O'Brien's travelling foreman T.J. Comerford was not dismayed. "I still think that Tiger Moth still has his chance from out there. It's not the end of the world. He's a good horse, he's got a good weight and he's got a good man aboard," he said.
