Dual Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O’Brien is gearing up for a triumphant return to Melbourne this spring with at least two Spring Carnival contenders.
Buckaroo and Valiant King, owned in part by Australian interests and Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing, are set to enter quarantine, preparing to vie for top honors in feature races, including the prestigious Cox Plate.
O’Brien’s track record in Australia speaks for itself, having secured numerous feature-race victories in recent years.
Notably, he claimed victory in the Melbourne Cup in 2017 with Rekindling, and then again in 2020 with Twilight Payment. In 2021, he added the Cox Plate title with State Of Rest.
Ozzie Kheir, confirming the exciting news, shared the plans for Buckaroo and Valiant King. Buckaroo, fresh off Royal Ascot, is being readied by Joseph for a shot at the Cox Plate.
Valiant King, with only three starts to his name, is being carefully prepared and is expected to follow a similar path to last year’s contender, Soulcombe.
Besides Buckaroo and Valiant King, two other notable Royal Ascot runners are also heading to Melbourne for the spring racing season.
Saint George, impressive with a second-place finish in the Queen’s Vase and a close third in the Bahrain Trophy, will compete in the prestigious Melbourne Cup.
Meanwhile, Light Infantry, another Royal Ascot performer, will aim for Cox Plate glory under the training of Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace.
