When media star Lizzie Jelfs sourced Furthur last year, she sold a two-part dream to her owners, including SEN Supremo Craig Hutchison, Geelong legend Billy Brownless and VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers.
And she is delivering.
The first was a date on the first Tuesday in November, where he as an unfinished product and finished midfield.
A disappointment, but they knew there was more to come.
The second was the Ascot Gold Cup, where Furthur will be an $81 outsider on Thursday night.
“The owners bought this horse always with the idea that he would run in the Melbourne Cup and then come back for the Ascot Gold Cup,” Jelfs said.
“He came to Melbourne as an immature stayer and ran really well.
“He pulled really hard on that occasion, and he still managed to finish it off.
“He has had a couple of runs since being back over here, where things haven’t gone his way, and we get to run at Royal Ascot.
“He is going to improve.”
Racing With Lizzie’s big supporters took a ticket on the journey, Hutchison and Rogers joined by Geelong legend Brownless and many others.
The group bought into Furthur after he won the Geoffrey Freer Stakes last year and he finished fourth in the Yorkshire Cup on his 2026 return in England before only beating one home in the Henry II Stakes last time at Sandown.
“To have achieved this dream is amazing,” Jelfs said. “And he will run well, even though he is an outsider.
“We know he will stay the 4000m and we are there with a shot.”
Furthur is not the only Melbourne Cup runner from last year to face the starter in the Gold Cup with Australian Bloodstock’s Al Riffa also in the Royal meeting’s premier event.
One of Furthur’s owners Peter Price is also in Al Riffa, which is a $6.50 third pick in betting behind $2.80 favourite Scandinavia from Ballydoyle and Godolphin’s Trawlerman, who is $4 to defend his Gold Cup crown.
Al Riffa is coming off being unlucky third at Group 1 level at Longchamp last month and his trainer Joseph O’Brien, who has already prepared three winners at this year’s Royal Ascot, is confident.
“He gets two miles and he obviously ran great in France last time. It’s an extreme test, but he’s prepared very well and we think he’s in with a live shout,” he said.
