John O’Neill has endured both the ups and down as an owner in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup

Owner John O’Neill has been through both the good and bad during his enduring Melbourne Cup story.

A plethora of runners provides no immunity to Melbourne Cup thrills or letdowns.

Just ask long-time racehorse owner John O’Neill.

O’Neill has raced horses in Melbourne Cups for more than two decades, winning once with Verry Elleegant in 2021, but enduring many frustrations and downright sad times in racing.

O’Neill’s competitive spirit that brought out his football and cricketing prowess at the respective Box Hill clubs shifted to racing long ago.

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Founding digital billboard business QMS Media has also helped foster O’Neill’s competitive nature but has also provided the platform for the valued relationships he has in racing.

“I’ve been lucky enough to get an opportunity through business and life to build great relationships,” O’Neill said.

“If you’ve got one per cent or whatever, we don’t care, we just want all of our mates to come in and race and enjoy it with their families.”

O’Neill said his passion for the great race started well before he made it to the races for the first time.

“I used to listen to the Melbourne Cup with my grandfather and my dad years ago,” O’Neill said.

“They both loved it and I was a young fella.

“Around the Doriemus times, I was pretty good friends with all the Freedman boys, and I lived with Michael, so I was lucky to be involved with all those celebrations.

“I really got the bug for it when the Freedman boys really involved me in that stuff.

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“I’ve always had a crack at trying to win it.”

O’Neill’s first big wins came with popular galloper Mummify, which won the South Australian Derby, Underwood Stakes and Caulfield Cup in 2003.

Mummify also gave O’Neill an early shot of Melbourne Cup disappointment when illness caused the gelding’s race morning scratching from that year’s event.

The stayer returned to win another Group 1 race in 2004 and a rich race in Singapore the next year but 2005 produced one of O’Neill’s lowest points in racing after Mummify’s brave third in the Caulfield Cup.

O’Neill could only hold Mummify’s head as the superb performer was euthanised after suffering a leg fracture in the race.

That experience has led O’Neill to be a supporter of any initiative that leads to safer racing for horses and jockeys, including when it involves his own horses.

O’Neill and racing partner Ozzie Kheir had Marmelo ruled out of the 2019 Melbourne Cup by vets while the duo are also part-owners of Muramasa, a controversial withdrawal from this year’s Cup.

O’Neill said the let downs were always a reminder for racing people not to get ahead of themselves, despite having runners high in Melbourne Cup betting, including the 2024 fancy Buckaroo.

John O'Neill with Jamie Kah after Coolangatta won the Lightning Stakes last year Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

“We’re just taking the quiet approach and not carrying on like idiots,” O’Neill said.

“The ins and outs and the high and lows teach us that.

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“We had Marmelo and that was a stressful situation and Mummify, they pulled out on the morning of the race as well.

“Marmelo, we were completely gutted with that.”

It also taught O’Neill that a large amount of work to source Melbourne Cup candidates from overseas could become fruitless in an instant.

But Kheir and O’Neill’s investment of time and money have led them to have four runners at Flemington on Tuesday.

“Ozzie and I keep having a look. He’s doing a lot of work internationally and picking the horses we think are best suited,” O’Neill said.

“We’ve won one, ran second a few times and run third, we’re just hoping again.”

The Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo, to be ridden by Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira, is the highest of the quartet in betting.

Buckaroo remains favourite for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

The same combination finished second with Soulcombe last year.

“Buckaroo is really well, and Chris is quietly confident,” O’Neill said.

“He’s always conservative and never over the top but the horse is working very well.

“Hopefully the Magic Man can square up this year.”

O’Neill and Kheir will also have the Waller-trained Valiant King as well as Interpretation and Saint George from the Ciaron Maher camp.

“Saint George, he’s a bloody good horse so don’t leave him out of your trifectas,” O’Neill said.

Originally published as John O’Neill has endured both the ups and down as an owner in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup