Defiantly secured a ballot-exempt place in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) with an authoritative victory in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m) at Deauville on Sunday, providing Joseph O’Brien with another serious candidate for a race in which he has already enjoyed considerable success.
The Kergorlay carried a Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket for the first time this year, guaranteeing its winner exemption from the ballot for Flemington on 3 November. Defiantly took the opportunity in emphatic fashion and, in doing so, followed a route with a distinguished recent history.
Americain won the Kergorlay before going on to take the Melbourne Cup in 2010, while Protectionist repeated the double four years later. The latter was bought into a partnership involving Australia Bloodstock after his Deauville victory, giving Defiantly’s success a particular historic resonance for his owners.
Outstayed them!
Defiantly strikes in the G2 Prix Kergorlay for @DylanBrowneMcM and Joseph O’Brien… pic.twitter.com/uSoofEn3RB
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 23, 2026
O’Brien’s own record in the race is equally well established. Rekindling gave him a first Melbourne Cup success in 2017 before Twilight Payment added another in 2020, while Goodie Two Shoes finished second for the stable last year.
The four-year-old had spent the summer advancing through the staying handicap ranks. He was beaten only a head by Kizlyar in the Class 2 Ascot Stakes over two miles and four furlongs (400m) at Royal Ascot before defeating Berkshire Sundance by three lengths in the Class 2 Coral Goodwood Handicap over two miles and four-and-a-half furlongs (4123m) at Goodwood.
His first appearance in Group company brought a further step forward. Dylan Browne McMonagle allowed Defiantly to stride to the front and establish an even rhythm through the early stages. The pace was gradually lifted from some way out, stretching the field before the turn for home, and the leader continued to travel with composure as his rivals began to come under pressure.
Asked to lengthen in the straight, Defiantly responded generously and drew away to defeat Santorini Star by five and a half lengths, with Double Major another five lengths behind in third.
“He’s a solid horse and has improved with every run,” McMonagle told Sky Sports Racing.
“He’s a strong stayer, he doesn’t do too much and he’s always behind the bridle which helps over this trip. Every question you ask him, he responds good.
“There doesn’t seem to be a bottom to him, he continues to stay. He’s a solid candidate for the Melbourne Cup and handles the fast ground. He’s got all the right qualities for it.”
There is a further Australian connection in the pedigree. Defiantly is a half-brother to Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo and to Middle Earth, who finished third in the 2025 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.
