History seekers
Buckaroo and Absurde out to provide Fastnet Rock with a first win in the Melbourne Cup
Some six months after he was officially retired from stud duties by Coolmore, Fastnet Rock (Danehill) will add another chapter to his extensive book of achievements should either Buckaroo or Absurde deliver a first Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) on Tuesday for their renowned sire.
Fastnet Rock will spend the first Tuesday in November in much the same way he has every day since his retirement in late-April, enjoying a pick of grass or taking a leisurely stroll round his lush paddock at Coolmore Australia’s sprawling farm on Golden Highway, in Jerrys Plains.
Approximately 1,100 kilometres south at Flemington, Buckaroo and Absurde – both quoted at single figure odds in the Melbourne Cup betting markets – will be stretching every sinew as they attempt to win the time-honoured contest and so become the first son of Fastnet Rock to etch their name onto Australian racing’s most famous trophy.
Had connections of Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) heroine Via Sistina decided to test her credentials in the nation’s toughest examination of stamina and speed, there would have been an even greater chance of Fastnet Rock finally claiming one of the few big races missing from his CV.
To call it an anomaly might be stretching a point, however, given Fastnet Rock’s prowess was primarily seen over sprint distances during a career which yielded six stakes wins including a pair of elite-level victories under Glen Boss in the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) and the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m).
When he joined Coolmore’s stallion roster in 2005, there was a general perception that he would purely throw speedy types – and his subsequent Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winners Nechita (2012) and Merchant Navy (2017) both certainly fitted the mould.
However, that perception was turned on its head when, predominantly during his decade-long stint shuttling to the northern hemisphere from 2010, he served some stoutly bred mares who have produced horses capable of getting over much further ground.
He’s always been such a versatile stallion, he can produce sprinters, middle distance horses or, as we’re seeing with Buckaroo and Absurde, some really solid stayers
They included Buckaroo’s dam Roheryn (Galileo), whose stakes-winning son Middle Earth (Roaring Lion) was recently a big-money acquisition for the Ciaron Maher stable; and Absurde’s dam Incroyable (Singspiel), whose handy jumper Chimichuri (Le Havre) has won two of six starts over hurdles.
It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that both Buckaroo – who became Fastnet Rock’s 44th individual elite-level winner when he took out September’s Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) for Chris Waller – and the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde have shown themselves highly capable of outrunning their sire’s genes, with 11 wins between them in races over a mile or considerably further.
“Fastnet Rock has had a huge impact on Australian breeding and he’s been a really significant stallion for such a long time for us,” said Coolmore’s head of marketing and nominations, Tom Moore.
“What Via Sistina has done since arriving in Australia, and especially what she did in the Cox Plate, has reminded everyone what a tremendous stallion he is. Then last weekend China Sea ran a huge race to finish third in the Victoria Derby, so his progeny are certainly running very well at the moment.
“He’s always been such a versatile stallion, he can produce sprinters, middle distance horses or, as we’re seeing with Buckaroo and Absurde, some really solid stayers. What they all have in common is that they’re generally really tough and stay very sound.
“If either Buckaroo or Absurde can win the Cup on Tuesday, it would be a hugely satisfying result for everyone here on the farm. We obviously had a massive result on Derby Day with Switzerland winning the Coolmore, so it would be nice to continue those celebrations into Cup Day.”
Absurde, who finished seventh under Zac Purton in last year’s running of the Cup, has drawn perfectly in barrier seven for three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, whereas Buckaroo’s odds – which had been as low as $5.50 – drifted after he was assigned gate 21 during the draw at Flemington on Saturday.
Despite the apparent setback, Waller still struck a positive note with his confidence perhaps buoyed by the association Joao Moreira has formed with the six-year-old, whose strength at the end of the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) would suggest that the two-mile trip should be well within his capabilities.
“The draw’s not ideal, but hopefully he can take up a position somewhere in midfield with a bit of cover,” said Waller, who saddles up five runners in Australia’s most iconic race.
“The beauty of having Joao on board is that not only is he a world-class jockey, but he also knows the horse so well. Hopefully they can settle into a nice rhythm and conserve some energy for the finish, because the extra distance has to be a little bit of a query with him.
“You don’t know for certain whether any horse can stay a trip until they’ve proved it on raceday, but everything he’s shown us at home so far would suggest that he can. I thought his run in the Caulfield Cup was enormous, he was closing off better than any horse that day which bodes well for the Melbourne Cup, because recent history shows that you need that burst of speed at the end of the race to win the Cup.”
I thought his run in the Caulfield Cup was enormous, he was closing off better than any horse that day which bodes well for the Melbourne Cup
Buckaroo is part-owned by Ozzie Kheir, who is gang-tackling the Melbourne Cup with Valiant King, Saint George (both Roaring Lion) and Interpretation (Galileo) also running in his navy blue and pale yellow colours.
Given that the late Colin McKenna held a share in Interpretation under his Halo Racing banner, there would be added poignancy if the last-start Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) winner could greet the judge.
Putting sentiment to one side, however, Kheir feels that Buckaroo is best-placed to secure his second Melbourne Cup success, with the Melbourne property magnate having owned a small share in Verry Elleegant (Zed) when the mare swept to victory for Waller in 2021.
“I drew Buckaroo’s barrier myself, so at least I haven’t got anyone else to blame for that,” Kheir told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“Having said that, I drew barrier four for Soulcombe when he finished last year, and he ended up second–last in the field after being slow away, so barriers aren’t the be all and end all. I was obviously a bit flat at the time, but on reflection barrier one would probably have been worse for him than 21, so I’m trying to take the positives.
“The extra distance isn’t worrying me too much, he was the only horse you really wanted to take out of the Caulfield Cup, which has traditionally been the best form race for the Melbourne Cup. If Chris Waller is confident he’ll get the two-mile trip and is happy to run him, then I’m certainly not going to argue with the master. He gets his turn of foot from his sire and his stamina through Galileo on his dam’s side, so it’s a lovely blend of speed and endurance which is what you’re looking for in a modern-day Melbourne Cup horse.
“The one drawback is that we know he’s better on a softer surface, which he’s not going to get. The warm weather on Cup Day might be a disadvantage, but the Flemington track is always in perfect condition. If it comes up really firm then he might pull up with a bit of soreness, but given this is his grand final he’ll go for a spell whatever happens, so he’ll have plenty of time to recover.
“He’s been a real revelation so far this prep, his consistency has been absolutely amazing so we’re all just hoping he’s got one more big performance in him.”
