Parchment Party out to upset in Melbourne Cup

Win, lose or draw, Parchment Party has already made history as the first American-trained horse to contest the A$10 million (S$8.51 million) Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3,200m) at Flemington on Nov 4.

An eight-time winner from 22 starts in the US, the five-year-old son of Constitution has caught the attention of many among the 24 runners in the Group 1 staying feature with his world-class credentials.

Trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott – the winner of 10 Breeders’ Cup races and the trainer of the 1996 Group 1 Dubai World Cup (2,000m) winner Cigar – Parchment Party has earned his golden ticket given by the Victoria Racing Club to “the race that stops a nation” with his victory in the Grade 3 Belmont Gold Cup at Saratoga on June 7.

That feature event was run as a Grade 2 race over 3,200m on the turf in the past years, but the 2025 edition was run over 2,800m on the dirt course instead due to heavy rain and downgraded to Grade 3.

In that race called by Melbourne’s No. 1 race caller Matt Hill, Parchment Party kicked clear for a commanding 8½-length win under veteran rider John Velazquez.

The bay horse reaffirmed his staying power with another impressive win in the Listed Birdstone Stakes (2,800m) on Aug 7.

Mott and his owners from the Kentucky-based operation Pin Oak Stud decided Parchment Party should make the trip Down Under in the second year a Belmont Gold Cup winner is granted ballot exemption to the Melbourne Cup.

The Graham Motion-trained 2024 winner The Grey Wizard chose not to travel due to the huge undertaking involved in international shipping and the mandatory quarantine procedures.

Travelling assistant and rider Jo Robinson oversaw Parchment Party’s long travels from his flight from New York to Belgium, to hopping onto a 12-hour float to arrive in Newmarket, UK in late September, before he flew to Melbourne on Oct 12 for another two-week quarantine at the Werribee International Horse Centre.

“You never see him with his ears back. He’s always got his ears forward; he’s very kind. He’s always very happy and inquisitive, he loves people and attention,” said Robinson to World Horse Racing.

“He’s beautiful to ride. He’s like riding a Cadillac; he’s smooth, he’s big and he makes you feel great.

“As a two-year-old, he ran a couple of times and won both times, but he needed a break and came back to us for a few months.

“We kept him around, got him back to training and we sent him back to Bill, and he’s been with him since.”

Robinson said Mott had entered Parchment Party in the Belmont Gold Cup for his first test on the turf, but despite the last-minute changes, the horse won easily and connections are now looking forward to his first raid overseas.

“The Belmont Gold Cup race was actually a turf race. Bill kept him in till the last minute. He did not scratch him and had faith even with the storm that the people said was coming,” she said.

“But it hit and they took it off the turf last minute. It worked out great for us. He won by eight lengths or so. We kind of got in (the Melbourne Cup) by default, but it makes me want to win the race.

“It’s the second year that Racing Victoria have made this golden ticket into the race. Last year, the horse (The Grey Wizard) decided not to try the trip, so we wanted him to be the first horse to do it.

“I’d be lying if I said I’ve not had a dream about if he crosses the line in front, that’d be amazing. But there’s no pressure on him. He’s brought us on a great trip here so far, and as long as he finishes healthy and sound, and comes back home to us, that’s already the win for us.”

Adding further prestige to his Cup campaign is his rider and star US jockey Velazquez.

At 53, Velazquez is one of the most accomplished riders in the world. He has amassed more than 6,000 wins, including three Kentucky Derby wins, two Belmont Stakes, one Preakness Stakes and 21 Breeders’ Cup victories.

He came close to his 22nd Breeders’ Cup victory when Fierceness finished third to Forever Young in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2,000m) at Del Mar on Nov 1.

“I’m very excited. I just hope that my horse gets a good feel of the grass and a bit of luck,” said Velazquez, who has ridden in the Gold Coast previously.

“His endurance is not an issue and I think the distance is in our favour. The question we have is whether he handles the grass, and Bill thinks he can, and the owners would love to bring him there.

“I hope we get a firm grass that he can handle better than soft turf.”

Five US-bred horses, Beldale Ball (1980), At Talaq (1986), Kingston Rule (1990), Media Puzzle (2002) and Americain (2010) have won the Melbourne Cup, but none were owned nor trained in America.

Currently at long odds of 50-1, Parchment Party will jump from gate 3, while the 13-2 favourite is the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours, who drew barrier 8.

sharonzhang@sph.com.sg