Gun jockey Mark Zahra has snared the coveted ride on the highly rated Melbourne Cup contender Al Riffa.
Al Riffa, purchased by Australian Bloodstock, had previously had Irish jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle on board.
But Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett said they opted for a local jockey who they rate as the “best staying rider”.
Lovett said there was a fair bit of interest in Al Riffa considering his allotted weight of 59kg and Zahra was told the good news on Sunday night. Al Riffa arrived in Australia last Wednesday.
Zahra won the Melbourne Cup for Australian Bloodstock on Gold Trip in 2022, and also won the race on Without a Fight in 2023.
Al Riffa is currently $6 with Bet365 for the Melbourne Cup after a commanding win in the Irish St Leger.
‘’In my view and a few others, Zahra is probably the best two-mile rider, the best staying rider we’ve got,” Lovett told Betsy.
“And obviously, a lot of the connections have got a good relationship with him, so it just made sense.”
“That said, I feel sorry for the kid [Browne McMonagle]. I mean, he’s rode him very well. He’s always been on the horse in Ireland, so it wasn’t easy to make the decision, but I think history shows that the local guys tend to have a better strike rate.”
Lovett said their decision was also influenced by wanting a jockey on board who understands the local conditions as well as the form on fellow runners and jockeys.
“There’s not many Ryan Moores of the world that you can drop them anywhere and they ride up to a very high standard,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing, in my view, is knowing the horses to follow and the jockeys to follow. If you don’t know the form and the local riders, it’s a long two miles around Flemington and if you get it wrong, it can cost you a Melbourne Cup.”
“So it’s just important to have the guys that know the track inside out and it’s a very unique race, the Melbourne Cup.”
“And I always say to people, if you’re looking for someone who can perform on a big stage, you look at [Zahra’s] ride on Without a Fight [in 2023 Melbourne Cup]. I think it’s one of the best rides I’ve seen in a Melbourne Cup.”
A hugely impressive performance from the @JosephOBrien2-trained Al Riffa in the G1 Comer Group Irish St Leger pic.twitter.com/NJXHmzAbpf
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) September 14, 2025
Australian Bloodstock also own Cup contenders Vauban and Royal Supremacy. While no decision has been made on whether the former Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban will race again this spring after a disappointing Caulfield Cup, Royal Supremacy is likely to push on to the 3200m after finishing 5th on Saturday.
“I thought [Royal Supremacy] was huge. I was delighted. I was disappointed for the horse because Middle Earth went off and he sort of got stirred up and when the gates opened, he was back on his hind legs,” Lovett said.
“So he sort of came out slow and he got beat two and a half [lengths] and he was sort of two or three pairs further back than we mapped him. So in the end, I think his run was enormous and he’s just a tough little horse and he seems to be.”
“He cops his racing, he’s come out of it good, so there’s no reason not to push on.”
Last year’s Cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan is expected to ride Royal Supremacy, who will be well weighted at 50kg.
Meanwhile, Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours has been handed a 2kg penalty for his impressive win on Saturday.
“Half Yours carried a penalty from the Naturalism into the Caulfield Cup, but as an emerging stayer he was still down in the weights with 52.5kg and that proved beneficial in winning his first Group 1 race,” Racing Victoria’s Head of Handicapping, David Hegan said.
“Half Yours accelerated from the 400m to 200m mark better than any other horse in the field which was crucial. He kept surging to the line in the manner of a horse that will get over more ground. Whilst the margin wasn’t huge, it was a decisive win.”
“With the different weight scales this year between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups he remained on the limit weight for the Melbourne Cup going into Saturday’s race.”
“The 2kg penalty lifts Half Yours off the limit to 53kg and importantly it provides relief to those horses he defeated on Saturday come the Melbourne Cup.”
