CUP CHANGE UP – BLINKERS GO ON “GUARD”

“HE is one of the outsiders. I have to try something different.”

So said leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, explaining his decision on an important gear change on Changingoftheguard for Tuesday’s first ever $10m Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

The imported stayer will race in blinkers in the 165^th running of Australia’s famous 3200m contest.

Lees opted for the “shades” in the hope they will help the imported seven-year-old, who is his sole Cup representative.

Changingoftheguard led throughout under 59kg to take the Listed City Tatts Club Cup (2400m) at Royal Randwick on September 6 on a “Good 4” surface before his rider Ethan Brown eased him out of the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) there on October 4 after striking the heels of Travolta passing the 400m and blundering badly when travelling well.

Changingoftheguard since finished sixth under 60kg topweight to Cup rival Torranzino in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on a rain-affected track on October 23.

“He didn’t seem comfortable in the straight when horses got around him,” Lees said.

“Changingoftheguard worked well in blinkers last Tuesday morning at Flemington, and hopefully it’s worth a little change up.”

Changingofthguard will have to break a 50-year plus hoodoo if he is to give Lees his first Melbourne Cup.

He will jump from the “car park” barrier 24 on Tuesday – and no horse has won from the extreme outside since Gala Supreme in 1973.

Changingoftheguard drops 7kg to 53kg on Tuesday.

Lees had Cleveland ready to run well in the 2023 Cup after the gelding won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup in the lead-up, but an elevated temperature forced his withdrawal on race eve.

Despite his horror draw, there has been support for Changingoftheguard since last night’s draw.

He has tightened from $101 to $81 with TAB.com.au, with Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours holding favoritism at $6.50.

Lees also runs Cleveland in Tuesday’s Australian Heritage Cup, a 2800m Benchmark 96 Handicap, at Flemington.

“I was pleased with his run when sixth in the Moonee Valley Cup (2600m) on October 24, and this is a drop back in grade, albeit he goes up to 60.5kg,” Lees said.

“Jye McNeil rode him at The Valley, and sticks with him.”

Lees won the inaugural running in 2022 of the Big Dance (1600m) with Rustic Steel at Royal Randwick, and has two runners there on Tuesday hoping to snare it again.

He will be represented by Tavi Time (Jay Ford) and Lord Of Biscay (Dylan Gibbons), and feels the former is the pick of the two.

Tavi Time ran fourth to Gringotts in last year’s renewal, and has since won the Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick and Listed Scone Cup (1600m), with Ford aboard both times.

He goes from 53kg last year to 57kg.

Newcastle three-year-old Hidden Motive will return home for a spell after contesting yesterday’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

Hidden Motive was slow to begin, and his jockey Ash Morgan told connections afterwards that the colt didn’t appear comfortable on the firm track, which was upgraded from a “Good 4” to a “Good 3” prior to the Coolmore.

“Hidden Motive has done a good job this campaign, winning the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes at Rosehill Gardens,” Kurrinda Bloodstock principal Sean Driver said from Melbourne today.

“Trainer Nathan Doyle and myself discussed future plans, and we believe we can win another good race with him in the autumn.

“He will go home and spell for a few weeks.”

. There will be no shortage of Newcastle interest in classy Irish stayer Al Riffa’s Australian debut in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

He is one of three horses to race in Hunter-based syndicator Australian Bloodstock colours, and will carry 59kg topweight.

Former Newcastle Jockey Club chairman Geoff Barnett and wife Maureen, along with Ross, Adam and Rowan Parker from Coastline Racing share in the ownership of Al Riffa.

“Al Riffa’s trainer Joseph O’Brien flies into Melbourne early tomorrow morning, and I will meet with he and jockey Mark Zahra later in the morning,” Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett said today.

Australian Bloodstock also have Vauban (Blake Shinn) and Royal Supremacy (Robbie Dolan) lining up as they strive to win the great race for a third time.

“We were supremely confident with Protectionist in 2014 because he had beaten the handicapper,” Lovett said.

“Then we knew Gold Trip was the best horse in the race in 2022, but weren’t quite sure about him carrying 57kg over the 3200m.

“Al Riffa is a very serious horse who won a 1400m Group 1 as a two-year-old, and has a fantastic Group 1 profile in Ireland, France and Germany.

“There’s no doubt he is the best horse in the race. It’s a matter of whether he can carry the 59kg and give 8kg to horses such as Valiant King (Caulfield Cup placegetter).”

Story John Curtis, November 2 2025