Ryan Moore to take mount on favourite for £4 million Melbourne Cup

Ryan Moore’s mount in one of the world’s greatest races has been revealed.

The ’s number one jockey will have a busy international schedule during November, travelling to the US for the Breeders Cup, for the Spring Carnival and Japan for the Japan Cup.

Three days after riding at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar in California, he is due at Flemington to try to win the £4 million Melbourne Cup.

Moore won the handicap, known in Australia as the ‘race that stops a nation’, ten years ago on German-trained Protectionist. He partnered the race favourite Vauban 12 months ago but the Willie Mullins-trained challenger, who is also targeting the race, finished a disappointing 14th.

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William Buick will partner Vauban this time around with Moore committed to fulfilling his commitments to Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners.

As a result Moore will ride Jan Brueghel, the St Leger winner who has been tasked with ending O’Brien’s wait for a maiden Melbourne Cup victory.

The news was announced by Coolmore Australia in a post which said: “Ryan Moore will partner with Jan Brueghel in the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

“A partnership he couldn’t turn down, Ryan will be travelling from the Breeders’ Cup in America to Australia just moments before taking his ride in the Melbourne Cup. Jan Brueghel is set to arrive in Australia this weekend!”

Jan Brueghel, 7-1 joint favourite with Vauban with William Hill, is an unbeaten three-year-old.

Owned by Westerberg, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, he made his debut in a maiden May, won two Group 3 races before adding the season’s final Classic at Doncaster when ridden by Sean Levey.

Jan Brueghel’s participation was only confirmed after he had passed a rigorous set of veterinary checks, introduced by organisers of the Melbourne Cup following a number of deaths, notably the O’Brien-trained Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck who suffered a fatal injury in the 2020 running of the race.

O’Brien also saddled Tiger Moth to finish second in the race the same year, when it was won by his son Joseph’s Twilight Payment, but has not had a runner since.

Later in November, Moore will head to Japan where he is due to ride last year's Derby winner Auguste Rodin in the £5.5m Japan Cup. It will be the colt's final race before he takes up stud duties at Coolmore in Ireland.