As befits one of the world’s greatest races, the Emirates Melbourne Cup field was bred by some of the world’s best sires. The exploits of the final 32 for next Tuesday’s race have contributed to the table below of the leading ‘distance sires’ on the planet according to the TRC Global Rankings algorithm.
The algorithm constructs a network of influence from the top races across the planet, training itself to predict the results of future races more and more accurately. In this exercise, we have restricted the data to just the world’s best staying contests.
The world's leading distance-race sires
Based on all Group and Graded races since October 23, 2013, over further than a mile and a half. Stallions in bold have Melbourne Cup entries
Rank | Name | Modal Country | Rnrs | Runs | IV | tRPR | G1 wins | G2 wins | G3 wins | Pts |
1 | Galileo | GB | 44 | 95 | 1.31 | 86.09 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 1004 |
2 | Manduro | GB | 8 | 26 | 1.07 | 84.16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 974 |
3 | Stay Gold | Japan | 16 | 42 | 1.23 | 82.47 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 967 |
4 | Dalakhani | France | 12 | 31 | 1.19 | 82.63 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 966 |
5 | Dubawi | GB | 11 | 26 | 1.00 | 83.43 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 963 |
| Monsun | France | 13 | 37 | 1.13 | 82.63 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 963 |
7 | Deep Impact | Japan | 29 | 55 | 0.74 | 84.62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 960 |
8 | Duke Of Marmalade | GB | 11 | 25 | 1.00 | 82.91 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 959 |
| Montjeu | France | 20 | 45 | 1.19 | 81.88 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 959 |
10 | Heart's Cry | Japan | 14 | 41 | 1.06 | 82.34 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 957 |
Five sires with runners in the Cup – Galileo, Monsun, Duke Of Marmalade, Montjeu and Heart’s Cry – make the top 10 and are collectively responsible for nine of the final 32 entries.
Of course, Galileo is also our #1 in the overall rankings of sires on all surfaces, over all distances and in all countries, and victory for either Bondi Beach or Grey Lion would underline the Coolmore great's current hegemony over the breed.
Galileo has never sired a Melbourne Cup winner, but the former German Triple Crown winner Monsun has been responsible for two of the last three, in Fiorente and Protectionist.
This seems to confirm that, while Australian racehorses are notably more versatile distance-wise than Europeans, the increasingly international make-up of the Cup necessitates the winner owing solid, classic stamina. Note that Monsun is the sire of Almandin, Excess Knowledge and Vengeur Masque among the last 32 in the Cup.
For his part, Montjeu got the 2012 winner Green Moon and has the Robert Hickmott-trained pair Gallante and Assign as potential advertisements, while Heart’s Cry and Duke of Marmalade are the respective sires of Japanese challenger Curren Mirotic and Big Orange, the latter one of the best chances for a first British win.
Connections of the Melbourne Cup entries on TRC Global Rankings
No | Horse | Owner | Trainer | Sire | Owner rank | Trainer rank | Sire rank |
1 | Jameka | C L Maher, Mrs J M McKenna Et Al | Ciaron Maher | Myboycharlie | 47 | 42 | 31 |
2 | Almandin | N C Williams & Mr & Mrs L J Williams | Robert Hickmott | Monsun | 32 | 72 | 11 |
3 | Big Orange | W J and T C O Gredley | Michael Bell | Duke Of Marmalade | 163 | 210 | 43 |
4 | Our Ivanhowe | A Kheir, P M Mehrten Et Al | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Soldier Hollow | 103 | 64 | 27 |
5 | Curren Mirotic | Takashi Suzuki | Osamu Hirata | Heart's Cry | 285 | 169 | 61 |
6 | Hartnell | Godolphin | J O'Shea | Authorized | 2 | 7 | 101 |
7 | Who Shot Thebarman | D M O'Leary, H T O'Leary Et Al | Chris Waller | Yamanin Vital | 146 | 2 | 214 |
8 | Wicklow Brave | Wicklow Bloodstock (Ireland) Ltd | W P Mullins | Beat Hollow | 285 | 156 | 101 |
9 | Bondi Beach | L J Williams/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith | A P O'Brien | Galileo | 1 | 1 | 1 |
10 | Exospheric | A Kheir, P M Mehrten Et Al | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Beat Hollow | 103 | 63 | 101 |
11 | Scottish | Godolphin | Charlie Appleby | Teofilo | 2 | 13 | 9 |
12 | Tally | Godolphin | J O'Shea | Street Cry | 2 | 7 | 12 |
13 | Grand Marshal | C C Lai | Chris Waller | Dansili | 39 | 2 | 29 |
14 | Gallante | C Williams & Mr & Mrs L J Williams | Robert Hickmott | Montjeu | 32 | 72 | 73 |
15 | Almoonqith | Shadwell Stud Australia Ltd Syndicate | David A & B Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Dynaformer | 4 | 27 | 82 |
16 | Real Love | Peters Investments Pty Ltd Syndicate | Darren Weir | Desert King | 12 | 8 | 128 |
17 | Sir John Hawkwood | Waratah Thoroughbreds | John P Thomson | Sir Percy | 146 | 82 | 110 |
18 | Heartbreak City | Here For The Craic Partnership | A J Martin | Lando | NA | NA | NA |
19 | Howard Be Thy Name | Mahogany & Forest Lodge Racing Pty Ltd | Darren Weir | Redoute's Choice | NA | 8 | 73 |
20 | Beautiful Romance | Godolphin | Saeed bin Suroor | New Approach | 2 | 11 | 54 |
21 | Excess Knowledge | A & S Olive, Gold Front T'breds Breeding & Racing et al | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Monsun | 285 | 32 | 11 |
22 | Assign | N C Williams & Mr & Mrs L J Williams | Robert Hickmott | Montjeu | 32 | 73 | 73 |
23 | Secret Number | Godolphin | Saeed bin Suroor | Raven's Pass | 2 | 11 | 128 |
24 | Grey Lion | Oti Racing, Aquis Farm Et Al | Matt Cumani | Galileo | NA | NA | 1 |
25 | Qewy | Godolphin | Charlie Appleby | Street Cry | 2 | 13 | 12 |
26 | Pentathlon | R S Baulcomb, Mrs G A & J N K Martin Et Al | John Wheeler | Pentire | NA | NA | 361 |
27 | Rose Of Virginia | Macedon Park Pty Ltd, G S Sheldon & J G Sheldon | Lee & Shannon Hope | Thorn Park | NA | 135 | 286 |
28 | Vengeur Masque | R & C Legh Racing Pty Ltd, G G Ltd Et Al | Michael Moroney | Monsun | 44 | 257 | 11 |
29 | Oceanographer | Godolphin | Charlie Appleby | Sea The Stars | 2 | 13 | 8 |
30 | De Little Engine | R J Conolan, D Goldsmith Et Al | Danny O'Brien | Encosta De Lago | NA | 198 | 26 |
31 | The Bandit | Waratah Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd | John D Sadler | Empire Maker | 146 | 300 | 310 |
32 | Tom Melbourne | Oti Racing, Kiwiana Synd Et Al | Lee & Anthony Freedman | Dylan Thomas | NA | 64 | 49 |