Defiantly has secured a ballot-exempt entry into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) after an authoritative victory in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3000m) at Deauville on Sunday. This win gives Joseph O’Brien another strong contender for a race in which he has already achieved considerable success.
The Kergorlay carried a Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket for the first time this year, guaranteeing its winner a place in the Flemington race on November 3rd without ballot. Defiantly took this opportunity in decisive fashion, following a route with a distinguished recent history.
Americain won the Kergorlay before going on to win the Melbourne Cup in 2010, and Protectionist repeated the double four years later. Protectionist’s acquisition by a partnership including Australia Bloodstock after his Deauville victory lends Defiantly’s success a particular historical resonance for his owners.
O’Brien’s own record in the Melbourne Cup is also well-established. Rekindling provided him with his first Melbourne Cup success in 2017, Twilight Payment added another in 2020, and Goodie Two Shoes finished second for the stable last year.
The four-year-old had spent the summer progressing through the staying handicap ranks. He was narrowly beaten a head by Kizlyar in the Class 2 Ascot Stakes over two miles and four furlongs at Royal Ascot before defeating Berkshire Sundance by three lengths in the Class 2 Coral Goodwood Handicap over two miles and four-and-a-half furlongs at Goodwood.
His first appearance in Group company marked a further step forward. Dylan Browne McMonagle allowed Defiantly to take the lead and establish an even rhythm through the early stages. The pace was gradually lifted from some way out, stretching the field before the turn for home, and the leader continued to travel with composure as his rivals began to come under pressure.
Asked to lengthen in the straight, Defiantly responded generously and drew away to defeat Santorini Star by five and a half lengths, with Double Major another five lengths behind in third.
“He’s a solid horse and has improved with every run,” McMonagle told Sky Sports Racing. “He’s a strong stayer, he doesn’t do too much and he’s always behind the bridle which helps over this trip. Every question you ask him, he responds good. There doesn’t seem to be a bottom to him, he continues to stay. He’s a solid candidate for the Melbourne Cup and handles the fast ground. He’s got all the right qualities for it.”
There is a further Australian connection in the pedigree. Defiantly is a half-brother to Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo and to Middle Earth, who finished third in the 2025 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.
Betting sites offer competitive racing odds for the upcoming Melbourne Cup.
