Melbourne Cup (G1)-winning syndicators Australian Bloodstock have purchased dual group 1 winner Al Riffa.
The talented son of Wootton Bassett, who dominantly scored a five-length romp in the Curragh Cup (G2) July 19, will remain in training in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien and be aimed at the Melbourne Cup, a race the trainer has won twice before with Twilight Payment in 2020 and Rekindling in 2017.
While Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett stressed the group 1 on the first Tuesday in November is the main target for the 5-year-old, the horse could also venture on an international campaign, which could include both Dubai and Hong Kong.
"We wanted a horse that could come down and not just be competitive, but be good enough to win a Melbourne Cup," Lovett told ANZ News.
"So the fact that (his last start win) was his first time beyond a mile and a half at the Curragh last start, so he has clearly ticked that box, he couldn't have been more impressive. He's staying with Joseph and will likely head to Hong Kong and hopefully on to World Cup night in Dubai. That was a big tick for our owners because that was the brief—to find us a horse that we could travel abroad with."
Lovett confirmed Al Riffa—whose two group 1 wins have come in the 2022 National Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old and the 2024 Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1)—will be given one final European run before his journey south for the Cup Nov. 4.
"It's my understanding talking to Joseph, he'll run in the Irish St Leger mid-September, and that'll be his last run and then he'll quarantine at Ballydoyle before coming down into Victoria."
Australian Bloodstock has a proven track record with Northern Hemisphere imports, highlighted by their 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph with French-bred Gold Trip, while they tasted success in the Flemington showpiece for the first time in 2014 with Protectionist, another bred in Europe.
This year, they will also be represented in the race by last year's favorite Vauban, who they purchased last year, and Lovett believes Al Riffa fits their criteria.
"There's obviously plenty of filters, and historically buying horses at the top of the weights for a big handicap can be flawed. But I think Gold Trip taught me that class carries you a long way and this horse is obviously a very, very good horse.
"He is a group 1 winner in Germany, but more importantly, he has form behind Rebel's Romance. In my mind, I don't think we've found the ceiling with this horse. I think Joseph made a similar comment that he's still a horse on the up; he's not heavily taxed.
"He's only had 14 starts, and I just feel he was the right horse for the brief that we had to go and purchase. There's a few local owners coming into the horse, but the majority of the horse was purchased by European clients and some clients in Dubai."
Al Riffa is the third foal out of the unraced Galileo mare Love On My Mind, herself a sister to group 3 winner and 2016 Ascot Gold Cup (G1) second Mizzou.
