American stayer out of 2026 Melbourne Cup contention

American stayer Tawny Port will not contest the $10.2 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3 despite earning an automatic berth in the race.

Miguel Clement’s stable has confirmed the seven-year-old will remain in North America and instead contest Saturday’s Canadian International at Woodbine.

“US horses must first travel to the UK to complete a two-week pre-export quarantine before landing in Australia,” the stable said.

Tawny Port secured a guaranteed place in the Melbourne Cup when winning the Group 2 Belmont Gold Cup over two miles at Saratoga in June, following an initiative between the New York Racing Association and Victoria Racing Club.

However, his name was absent from the 71 horses remaining in contention when first acceptances for the 2026 Melbourne Cup closed on Tuesday.

Tawny Port added another staying feature to his record on September 9 when claiming the 3300m Bowling Green Gold Cup Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

He defeated Lambeth by three-quarters of a length to record his second graded-stakes victory of the season.

Clement had previously indicated Tawny Port’s owner favoured keeping the horse in North America, with the Canadian International followed by races in New York preferred to making the lengthy trip to Melbourne.