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Al Riffa is one of the best in betting on this year’s Cup for two-time winning Irish trainer Joesph O’Brien, but can the well-credentialled visitor carry the 59kg topweight to victory Tuesday’s 2025 Melbourne Cup results and continue jockey Mark Zahra’s elite recent record in the great race?
There are 10 internationals in the mix for this year’s Group 1 $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) led by six-year-old Wootton Basset six-year-old Al Riffa.
O’Brien, who claimed the event with Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020), has thrown his full support behind the deserving topweight, declaring him “the right horse for the race” ahead of Tuesday’s showdown at Flemington.
“He’s a high-class colt,” O’Brien told the Herald Sun last week.
“We feel like he’s the right horse for the race and he carries weight because he’s had some high-class performances this year, and I’m pretty familiar with some of the competition as well, Valiant King and Buckaroo, I trained both of them in Europe.
“We feel like we have the right horse and hopefully we get a smooth passage of training between now and then.”
Al Riffa is currently on the third line of Melbourne Cup betting at $8 through Ladbrokes.com.au after suffering an early blow drawing out in gate 19 but caught the eye last week producing a strong gallop at Werribee to impress those that watched his work.
On board was none other than Mark Zahra, who’s chasing his third Cup win after previous triumphs in 2020 and 2023, and who is riding a very rich vein of form into Tuesday’s feature after his four-race Derby Day sweep.
He too has given the galloper, who ranks among the most accomplished internationals in this year’s Melbourne Cup field boasting multiple European Group 1 victories highlighted by a dominant win in last month’s Irish St Leger, the tick of approval.
“Lovely big horse, nice and quiet, did his work and gave me no trouble at all. Very happy,” Zahra said.
The query of course is the 59kg which would be a new weight carrying record in the Cup.
Currently Think Big (1975, 58.5kg) and Makybe Diva (2005, 58kg) hold the modern-day records – but that stat doesn’t scare Zahra.
“He definitely can do it (weight), he’s a big strong horse … 59kg is no problem,” he said.
“No worries at all with him carrying that sort of weight.”
So, is Zahra right?
Read on for the arguments for and against Al Riffa!
2025 Melbourne Cup Horse Form: No. 1 Al Riffa
- Breeding: by WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) from LOVE ON MY MIND (IRE)
- Age/Gender: 6YO Horse
- Trainer: Joesph O’Brien
- Jockey: Mark Zahra
- Weight: 59kg
- Barrier: 19
- Owners: Australian Bloodstock, Australian Bloodstock No 2, Mr A Guoga, Mr J W Woodbridge, Mr P B Price, Roth Brogan, Deg Racing, Two Of Each, B.J & A.K Paterson, Mr S Quinn, G & C Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, Murphy Syndicate, AB Al Riffa Crew, AB Al Riffa Racing , Miss M Guoga, Miss G Tobar, Ms A Nassis, Mr P Kaltzidis, Miss A Tobar, Mr P Brown
- Career Summary: 15-5:5:1
- Prizemoney: $2,133,420
- Min/Max-Dist-Win: 1408/2816
- Firm: 1:0-0-0 Good: 7:3-3-1 Soft: 7:2-2-0 Heavy: 0:0-0-0 Synthetic: 0:0-0-0
- Last Start: 1st in the Group 1 Irish St Leger (2816m) at Curragh on September 14, won by 4 lengths carrying 61.5kg
Al Riffa enters the 2025 Melbourne Cup as one of the most fascinating runners in the field – a genuine heavyweight in every sense of the word. For punters, he’s the classic high-risk, high-reward proposition out to make Melbourne Cup History.
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7th
1. Al Riffa (19)
J: Mark Zahra 59kg
T: Joseph O’Brien |
Why He Can Win
- Formidable European Credentials: His recent four-length demolition job in the Group 1 Irish St Leger under 61.5kg is elite staying form. That kind of dominance over 2800m suggests the 3200m at Flemington won’t be an issue.
- Proven Weight Carrier: Few in this field have lugged big weights to victory like he has. That resilience could prove crucial in a testing two-mile contest.
- Top-Class Team: Joseph O’Brien already has two Melbourne Cups to his name, and Mark Zahra — fresh off a Derby Day blitz and chasing a third Cup win in four years — is arguably the most in-form jockey in the country.
- Track Conditions: With rain forecast, his proven ability on soft ground is a major tick.
- Blueblood Pedigree: By Wootton Bassett, he’s bred to stay and thrive in high-pressure contests.
Why He Might Miss
- Fitness Cloud: He hasn’t raced since mid-September, and while he’s reportedly worked well since arriving in Australia, the lack of a lead-up run is a gamble over 3200m.
- Barrier 19: It’s a tricky draw that could force him to cover extra ground or settle further back than ideal — not ideal with 59kg on his back.
- Weight Burden: Giving away several kilos to key rivals on a rain-affected surface is no small task, especially when stepping up in trip.
Final Call
Al Riffa has the class, the form, and the team to win – but he’ll need everything to go right from a wide gate and under topweight. Expect him to be strong late and in the mix if the tempo is genuine. A top-five finish is well within reach, and if he handles the conditions and gets the right run, he could be fighting out the finish.
Verdict: Top 4 chance — include in all exotics and win bets at the price.
Melbourne Cup 2025 Results
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1st
14. Half Yours (8)
J: Jamie Melham 53kg
T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy |
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2nd
20. Goodie Two Shoes (20)
J: W M Lordan 51.5kg
T: Joseph O'Brien |
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3rd
7. Middle Earth (13)
J: Ethan Brown 54.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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4th
21. River Of Stars (14)
J: Beau Mertens 51.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
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5th
23. Torranzino (18)
J: Celine Gaudray 51kg
T: Paul Preusker |
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6th
4. Vauban (2)
J: Blake Shinn 56.5kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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7th
1. Al Riffa (19)
J: Mark Zahra 59kg
T: Joseph O'Brien |
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8th
9. Absurde (4)
J: Kerrin McEvoy 53.5kg
T: Willie Mullins |
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9th
13. Changingoftheguard (24)
J: Tim Clark 53kg
T: Kris Lees |
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10th
8. Meydaan (22)
J: James McDonald 54kg
T: Simon & Ed Crisford |
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11th
17. Furthur (7)
J: Michael Dee 52kg
T: Andrew Balding |
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12th
3. Arapaho (15)
J: Rachel King 56.5kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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13th
10. Flatten The Curve (17)
J: Thore Hammer-Hansen 53.5kg
T: Henk Grewe |
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14th
12. Smokin' Romans (11)
J: Ben Melham 53.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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15th
22. Royal Supremacy (21)
J: Robbie Dolan 51kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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16th
24. Valiant King (10)
J: Jye McNeil 51kg
T: Chris Waller |
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18th
15. More Felons (23)
J: Tommy Berry 53kg
T: Chris Waller |
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19th
6. Presage Nocturne (9)
J: Stephane Pasquier 55.5kg
T: Alessandro Botti |
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20th
18. Parchment Party (3)
J: John R Velazquez 52kg
T: William I Mott |
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21st
19. Athabascan (1)
J: Declan Bates 51.5kg
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
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