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Irish outsider given a chance after late Melbourne Cup call-up
Shayne Hope, AAP • November 2nd, 2026 9:16 am
Kevin Blake, Joseph O'Brien's right-hand man, has some Melbourne Cup contenders to watch out for | Photo: Martin Keep/AAP
Joseph O'Brien's team has warned punters against ruling late call-up Kizlyar out of Melbourne Cup contention as they plot a five-pronged assault on Australia's greatest race.
Kizlyar was only granted a spot in the field for Tuesday's $10.2 million feature when stablemate Defiantly was scratched on Saturday.
The four-year-old gelding, to be ridden by Beau Mertens, finished 11th in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup on his last start and is a $41 outsider.
Anticipation is building on the eve of this year's Melbourne Cup | Photo: Joanna Kordina/AAP
"It wasn't Plan A to run there but we felt he'd be right on the cusp to get in (to the Cup field), so we tried to run to win to guarantee it," O'Brien's racing planner Kevin Blake said.
"As it transpires, we should've sat on our hands, but it would've been some sweat if we did.
"He's here to run in the Cup. He's a strong stayer and a typical Aussie middle distance race last time just didn't play to his strengths.
"I'm imagining he's a very big price and people will rule him out based on what we saw last week, but I'd be expecting a different horse on Tuesday."
The Melbourne Cup barrier draw has given trainers and racing fans plenty to ponder | Photo: Martin Keep/AAP
Irish trainer O'Brien's strong hand in the Cup field is spearheaded by second-favourite Trustyourinstinct ($8), alongside James J Braddock ($18) and Sons And Lovers ($20).
Goodie Two Shoes ($26) will be looking to go one better than last year's second-place finish with Irish jockey Wayne Lordan back for another shot at glory.
"It'll be the same orders to do the same thing he did last year. It's going to be nice and simple," Blake said.
"Wayne's a top rider and he's had a wonderful year.
"The mare is a little bit older and a little bit of a quirky profile - she was running over fences 18 months ago - but the team seem particularly happy with her because she's in a better place than she was this time last year.
"You love hearing things like that coming into a big race because we need everything lined up to win a big race like this."
O'Brien first won the Cup with Rekindling in 2017 and was the most recent northern hemisphere trainer to triumph when Twilight Payment won in 2020.
Twilight Payment won the first Melbourne Cup staged amid COVID-19 restrictions | Photo: Racing Photos/AAP
Blake, who lamented expected pacesetter Defiantly being ruled out by vets, said his boss's best chance to take the Cup home for a third time would be if a hot tempo is set.
"It always fundamentally favours the internationals when there's pace in the race because the locals are just so good when the gears drop and then they rev up again," Blake said.
"They're just deadly at that and we find it very difficult to beat them doing that.
"So we'd be delighted to see pace in the race, whether it's us pushing it or someone else.
"We'd love a true two miles and we feel as a bunch it would suit our horses better."
