YOU LITTLE RIFFA! NOW FOR ANOTHER NEWCASTLE GOLD CUP

THE Irish St Leger and Newcastle Gold Cup are worlds apart!

But proud Novocastrian Jamie Lovett hopes to win both in the space of six days.

The first leg is already safely in the pocket as Lovett and fellow director Luke Murrell’s Australian Bloodstock’s recent acquisition Al Riffa impressively captured the Group 1 St Leger overnight at The Curragh, and is now a $6 favorite for the first ever $10m Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4.

Al Riffa, who raced in the Australian Bloodstock silks for the first time, was ridden by Irishman Dylan Browne McMonagle, no stranger to Australian racing, bolted home by four lengths in the 2800m contest.

Al Riffa is trained by Joseph O’Brien, who has already won the Melbourne Cup twice, with Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020).

Lovett (pictured above with his wife Kelli & connections) flew to Ireland last Thursday, and was trackside to watch Al Riffa boost his Cup credentials with an emphatic victory, relishing a fast pace and clearly outstaying his rivals.

“Al Riffa wasn’t a hard horse to identify,” Lovett told Provincial RacingNSW today before preparing to return home.

“Obviously he is going to get plenty of weight in the Cup, but we feel he is a great chance to win it again for us (like the horse’s trainer, Australian Bloodstock has also won the race twice, with other imports Protectionist in 2014 and Gold Trip in 2022).

“I’m not sure yet when Al Riffa will go into quarantine to come to Australia, but he won’t run again before the Melbourne Cup.”

Australian Bloodstock purchased the son of Wootton Bassett at the end of last month with Australia’s great race in mind, but further staying features in Hong Kong in December and Dubai next autumn are also on the stallion’s agenda.

Lovett is looking forward to be back at his home track on Friday to hopefully clinch another Newcastle Cup, having won the local feature with the Kris Lees-trained Mugatoo in 2020.

“We’ll have at least one runner, and hopefully two,” he said.

“Royal Supremacy is definitely starting for Ciaron Maher, and Jason Collett has been booked to ride him,” he said.

“Ciaron also entered Herman Hesse, but I’m not sure whether he is running.

“We also have Don Diego De Vega with Annabel and Rob Archibald, and he is going well.

“He trialled at Hawkesbury this morning, and has also been entered for Saturday’s Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick.”

Eighteen horses were nominated for the Newcastle Cup, and 10 of them also are among 34 entries for the Kingston Town.

Sydney’s champion trainer Chris Waller has the two early Cup favorites in Travolta ($2.50) and Soul Of Spain ($3.50).

Royal Supremacy is at $6 with TAB.com.au, and Don Diego De Vega is at $7.

The four are the only horses under double figures in the early market.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has entered both his 2023 Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner Cleveland and Age Of Sail.

They are the only provincial nominations.

Story John Curtis, September 15, 2025