Damien Oliver’s 2024 Melbourne Cup tips: The Buck stops with Joao Moreira

Global superstar Joao Moreira’s will have his most important ride in Australia yet when he hops aboard Buckaroo in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Global superstar Joao Moreira’s will have his most important ride in Australia yet when he hops aboard Buckaroo in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Moreira finished second in last year’s Melbourne Cup (on Soulcombe) and last month’s Caulfield Cup (Buckaroo) and – had things gone differently – he could have won both times.

Chances like that don’t come around all that often and you have to cash in when they do. He finds himself with another chance aboard Buckaroo, one of the favourites for our great race.

It’s time for the jockey they call the “Magic Man” to show us his very best on our biggest stage. The expectations are high. This is his moment.

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Moreira will need a gem of a ride – especially given Buckaroo has drawn so wide (barrier 21), which means he will probably have to settle further back then he would’ve liked.

Then there is the query of being untested at 3200m. That doesn’t worry me too much, though. I know it’s another 800m compared to Caulfield, but he dodged a penalty by not winning at there and he’s very well weighted for a horse of his class.

He’s still the one to beat, providing Joao weaves his magic.

I’m really warming to the Willie Mullins-trained pair Vauban and Absurde, who are both drawn well.

I had a good chat with Vauban’s owner Rich Ricci at Flemington on Saturday and he assured me Willie had learnt plenty and changed a lot from last year when both horses ran below their best.

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Vauban is the slightly better of Mullins’ two, but I give both strong winning chances.

Until the draw, I was bullish about Sea King after his powerhouse staying win in last Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup.

Barrier one is bad for him. He can be slowly away and sometimes over-race, both of which are problematic from an inside draw. It’s an almighty challenge for visiting (UK) jockey Hollie Doyle in just her second ride in our great race (she was 15th aboard Future History last year).

Obviously, another raider Onesmoothoperator has a chance, too. He did beat them easily at Geelong but it was off a slow pace and I’m not sure about the strength of the race, especially with favourite Unusual Legacy pulling out of it early.

Interpretation is the other one out of Geelong with a chance in this Cup. He hit the line well, looks to be peaking and ran a terrific sixth, beaten just over five lengths, in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

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Okita Soushi continues to be underrated. His Herbert Power run was excellent and it didn’t surprise me when he won so well in the Moonee Valley Cup. He’s another one with no weight and a big chance.

He’s also got Jamie Kah aboard and she carries great form into the race after a huge Victoria Derby Day.

Zardozi ran well in the Metropolitan and the Caulfield Cup before hitting the line strongly against her own sex from well back on Saturday. You’ve got to respect her, too.

Japanese stayer Warp Speed is a real 3200m horse. Even thought I’d like to have a seen a bit more from him at Caulfield, I’m keeping him safe over the longer trip on the bigger track here.

OLLIE’S MELBOURNE CUP TIPS
TOP PICK: Buckaroo
DANGER: Vauban
ROUGHIE: Okita Soushi

• Damien Oliver writes for us courtesy of Ladbrokes.

Originally published as Damien Oliver’s 2024 Melbourne Cup tips: The Buck stops with Joao Moreira