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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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1. Al Riffa (19)
J: Mark Zahra59kg
x4211T: Joseph O’Brien
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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.
| 14. Half Yours (8) J: Jamie Melham53kg 15141T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | ||
| 20. Goodie Two Shoes (20) J: W M Lordan51.5kg 1113xT: Joseph O'Brien | ||
| 7. Middle Earth (13) J: Ethan Brown54.5kg 50903T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 21. River Of Stars (14) J: Beau Mertens51.5kg x7802T: Chris Waller | ||
| 23. Torranzino (18) J: Celine Gaudray51kg 80821T: Paul Preusker | ||
| 4. Vauban (2) J: Blake Shinn56.5kg x3650T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | ||
| 1. Al Riffa (19) J: Mark Zahra59kg x4211T: Joseph O'Brien | ||
| 9. Absurde (4) J: Kerrin McEvoy53.5kg 2x3x7T: Willie Mullins | ||
| 13. Changingoftheguard (24) J: Tim Clark53kg 82106T: Kris Lees | ||
| 8. Meydaan (22) J: James McDonald54kg 05239T: Simon & Ed Crisford | ||
| 17. Furthur (7) J: Michael Dee52kg 52516T: Andrew Balding | ||
| 3. Arapaho (15) J: Rachel King56.5kg 36408T: Bjorn Baker | ||
| 10. Flatten The Curve (17) J: Thore Hammer-Hansen53.5kg 1411xT: Henk Grewe | ||
| 12. Smokin' Romans (11) J: Ben Melham53.5kg 72948T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 22. Royal Supremacy (21) J: Robbie Dolan51kg 11215T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 24. Valiant King (10) J: Jye McNeil51kg 3x013T: Chris Waller | ||
| 15. More Felons (23) J: Tommy Berry53kg x0944T: Chris Waller | ||
| 6. Presage Nocturne (9) J: Stephane Pasquier55.5kg 13x34T: Alessandro Botti | ||
| 18. Parchment Party (3) J: John R Velazquez52kg 2311xT: William I Mott | ||
| 19. Athabascan (1) J: Declan Bates51.5kg x0002T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
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