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Buckaroo

Can Waller Win Second Melbourne Cup in 2024 With Buckaroo?

Lucy Henderson November 4, 2024

Can Waller Win Second Melbourne Cup in 2024 With Buckaroo?

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Buckaroo was excellent scoring an eye-catching second in the Caulfield Cup ahead of Tuesday’s ‘Race That Stops a Nation’, but can the classy galloper go one better over the two miles and hand trainer Chris Waller a second success in the 2024 Melbourne Cup results?

Waller held up the Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy as a winning trainer for the first time back in 2021 with the ill-fated mare Verry Elleegant and the mast horseman returns with a five-strong contingent in this year’s $8.56 million classic.

The shortest priced from the Waller Melbourne Cup contingent on Tuesday is 3.5 length Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo who has eased out to $7 second favouritism in the markets at Ladbrokes for the 164th running.

The ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira is aboard and seeking to win back the love of the punters after his weaving rice on Soulcombe last year, when he should have stayed straight and followed the eventual winner Without A Fight home (hindsight’s great isn’t it?!), for a second-place finish.

Waller has forgiven him, but has the hoop forgive himself?

“I think there’s a part of Joao who would love to win the Melbourne Cup, and he’s a competitive jockey, but Joao wouldn’t be looking back on things,” Waller told the Sydney Morning Herald this week.

“Joao would be only looking forward. I respect that. There’s only one tick, it’s this year’s race. If he ticks the box, he’ll be smiley Joao.”

So, can the Brazilian hoop atone and ride this year’s Melbourne Cup winner?

Read on for the arguments for and against Buckaroo!

Click here to bet on Buckaroo in the Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.

2024 Melbourne Cup Horse Form: No. 2 Buckaroo

  • Barrier: 20 (in from 21)
  • Weight: 54.5kg
  • Jockey: Joao Moreira
  • Trainer: Chris Waller
  • Owner/s: Mr A Kheir, Qatar Bloodstock Ltd, Mr J A O’Neill, YES Bloodstock, Carty Racing, A K Racing, Mr D Edmonds, Mr B D Nettlefold, Mr T R Maddern, Bromfield Park Pty Ltd
  • Age: 6YO
  • Gender: Gelding
  • Breeding: by FASTNET ROCK from ROHERYN (IRE)
  • Career: 22-5:4:3
  • Win: 22.73%
  • Place: 54.55%
  • Last 10: 5356×81122
  • Prize Money: $2,074,648    
  • Track: 2:0-1-0
  • Distance: 0:0-0-0
  • Current 2024 Melbourne Cup Odds*: $7 (at time of publish) – BET NOW
Buckaroo need to win over further than 1800m for the first time to salute in the 2024 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday!

Why Buckaroo Can Win the 2024 Melbourne Cup for Waller

  • Chris Waller trained is a plus with the horseman a master trainer and previous winner of this race in 2021 with Verry Elleegant
  • Joao Moreira learnt his lesson last year and won’t be making the same mistake in 2024
  • Caulfield Cup is the superior Melbourne Cup form race historically and his second in that was eye-catching
  • Ran through the line in the Caulfield Cup suggesting he can see out the 3200m
  • Well-weighted with 54.5kg
  • Proven Group 1 winner by 3.5 lengths in the Underwood two back
  • Ultra-consistent lead-up running top two in his past 4
  • Great performances this prep since being gelded
  • Form around his subsequent eight-length Cox Plate winning stablemate Via Sistina when runner-up in the Turnbull at his latest Flemington run

Why Buckaroo Won’t Win the Melbourne Cup in 2024

  • Has to overcome barrier 20 (in from 21)
  • Needs to prove his two-mile credentials only having won up to 1800m previously
  • Only has a 22.73% Win Rate
  • Is the international form stronger?

Melbourne Cup 2024 Results

Flemington R7 - Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)
Final Race time: 
1st
11. Knight's Choice (5)
J: Robbie Dolan 51.5kg
x9005 T: J G Symons & S Laxon
81.00WIN
18.00PLACE
2nd
4. Warp Speed (2)
J: Akira Sugawara 54.5kg
325x0 T: N Takagi
26.00WIN
7.00PLACE
3rd
12. Okita Soushi (9)
J: Jamie Kah 51kg
x8021 T: Ciaron Maher
19.00WIN
6.50PLACE
4th
14. Zardozi (3)
J: Andrea Atzeni 51kg
65245 T: James Cummings
14.00WIN
4.50PLACE
5th
9. Absurde (6)
J: Kerrin McEvoy 52.5kg
1x41x T: Willie Mullins
10.00WIN
3.50PLACE
6th
3. Circle Of Fire (23)
J: Mark Zahra 54.5kg
1x890 T: Ciaron Maher
23.00WIN
6.50PLACE
7th
17. Fancy Man (18)
J: Ron Stewart 50kg
0x536 T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
81.00WIN
17.00PLACE
8th
8. Land Legend (17)
J: Zac Purton 53kg
x0613 T: Chris Waller
14.00WIN
4.80PLACE
9th
2. Buckaroo (20)
J: Joao Moreira 54.5kg
81122 T: Chris Waller
6.50WIN
2.50PLACE
10th
5. Kovalica (16)
J: Damian Lane 53.5kg
x3426 T: Chris Waller
26.00WIN
7.00PLACE
11th
1. Vauban (10)
J: William Buick 55.5kg
24312 T: Willie Mullins
8.00WIN
2.90PLACE
12th
13. Onesmoothoperator (11)
J: Craig Williams 51kg
21741 T: Brian Ellison
7.00WIN
2.70PLACE
13th
16. Valiant King (21)
J: Craig Newitt 50.5kg
6x009 T: Chris Waller
91.00WIN
18.00PLACE
14th
15. Sea King (1)
J: Hollie Doyle 50.5kg
136x1 T: Harry Eustace
12.00WIN
4.00PLACE
15th
18. Interpretation (13)
J: Teodore Nugent 50kg
00862 T: Ciaron Maher
21.00WIN
6.00PLACE
16th
6. Sharp 'N' Smart (14)
J: Michael Dee 53.5kg
x0203 T: Graeme & Debbie Rogerson
51.00WIN
12.00PLACE
17th
24. Trust In You (4)
J: Mark Du Plessis 50kg
63044 T: Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley
71.00WIN
17.00PLACE
18th
20. Mostly Cloudy (15)
J: Karis Teetan 50kg
2x440 T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
101.00WIN
19.00PLACE
19th
19. Manzoice (7)
J: Declan Bates 50kg
x2307 T: Chris Waller
126.00WIN
23.00PLACE
20th
21. Positivity (19)
J: Winona Costin 50kg
x2178 T: Andrew Forsman
101.00WIN
20.00PLACE
21st
23. The Map (22)
J: Rachel King 50kg
x9056 T: Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray
71.00WIN
15.00PLACE
22nd
22. Saint George (8)
J: Tyler Schiller 50kg
x8495 T: Ciaron Maher
23.00WIN
6.50PLACE
23rd
7. Just Fine (12)
J: Jye McNeil 53kg
05010 T: G Waterhouse & A Bott
35.00WIN
10.00PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.ladbrokes.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 09/09/2026 12:51:25 AM (Australia/Brisbane)

*Note: 2024 Melbourne Cup odds are correct at time of publish, provided by Ladbrokes, and subject to change without notice.


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