Melbourne Cup 2025 British & Irish Entries: O'Brien Has 3 Entered

Aidan O’Brien Ponders Running Three In 2025 Melbourne Cup

Updated –Sep 2, 2025

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Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien is considering running three horses in the Melbourne Cup – as the Ballydoyle handler has entered a trio of colts for the ‘Race The Stops A Nation’ Down Under in early November.

While, at this stage, there are 14 possible runners trained in Ireland and Britain – see the full list below.

Aidan O’Brien Enters Three For 2025 Melbourne Cup As He Eyes First Success In Race

Having had his 2024 St Leger winner Jan Brueghel pulled out of the race last year due to a failed vets check – many thought Aidan O’Brien might swerve the Melbourne Cup in 2025.

He might still just do that, but it seems the Ballydoyle maestro is maybe having second thoughts – with three entries for the 4th November race later this year at Flemington Park.

It’s been confirmed that at this stage O’Brien is thinking about sending three of his top staying colts Down Under to target the £2.3m first prize.

The three horses in question are – AFTERMATH, MOUNT KILIMANJARO and SCANDINAVIA, who is the current market leader with the horse racing betting sites for the St Leger at Doncaster on the 13th September.

While Scandinavia is currently a best-priced 16/1 for the Melbourne Cup.

Odds that are sure to shorten if –

1. He lands the final English Classic of the season.
2. He is a confirmed Melbourne Cup runner when the final declarations come out in the coming months.

**EXCLUSIVE**

It appears that Aidan has been talked around and has entered 3 colts for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday November 4th – Personally surprised after Ban Breughel last year Hopefully things run smoother this year if any of the 3 actually turn up at… pic.twitter.com/f1eoWft8n0

— AIDANOBRIENFANSITE (@aobrienfansite) September 2, 2025

Possible Aidan O’Brien Melbourne Cup Runners 2025

AFTERMATH – Has only raced three times but has already shown promise. Was last in action winning at the Curragh over 7f in September 2024 though, so hasn’t been out so far this season.

Is a colt by US Triple Crown winner Justify, so can be expected to stay further than the races he’s been running in – but stepping up beyond 2m will be a total unknown.

MOUNT KILIMANJARO – French-bred that was last seen running 6th (of 7) in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at the York Ebor Festival in August.

Prior to that won the Dee Stakes at Chester in May (watch below) – staying on well over that 1m 2 1/2f trip to suggest a crack over further is worth a go.

SCANDINAVIA – The best known of the possible Aidan O’Brien Melbourne Cup runners – having won the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood at the end of July (watch below).

He beat stablemate Illinois that day by 3/4 of a length and since then has been all the rage for the St Leger later his month.

If he wins that Doncaster race will have a similar profile to last year’s Jan Brueghel, who missed the Melbourne Cup late on.

Has Aidan O’Brien Won The Melbourne Cup Before?

No, Aidan O’Brien is yet to win the Melbourne Cup.

His last runners in the race were in 2020, when Tiger Moth was a 1/2-length runner-up to Twilight Payment – who was trained by Aidan’s son Joseph O’Brien.

But that was also the same year Anthony Van Dyck also ran for O’Brien and sadly broke down in the race.

Joseph O’Brien also won the Melbourne Cup in 2017 with Rekindling (watch below)- so he’s 2-0 up on his father in the race at the moment.

Melbourne Cup 2025 Date and Details

📅Date: Tuesday 4th November 2025
⌚Time: 4:00am (GMT)
🏇Racecourse: Flemington Park (2m)
💰Winning Purse: £2,352,941
📺 TV: Sky Sports Racing

Other Possible Irish and British-Trained Melbourne Cup Runners

In addition to the three possible Aidan O’Brien Melbourne Cup runners – there are eleven other Irish and British-trained entries at this stage.

With Joseph O’Brien having two – Al Riffa, who was recently sold to the Australian Bloodstock syndicate, and the JP McManus-owned Goodie Two Shoes.

While Willie Mullins has last year’s fifth Absurde still in the race, as well as Hipop De Loire, who was last seen running sixth in the Ebor Handicap.

Of the British-trained runners Andrew Balding has Further, David O’Meara Epic Poet, Tom Clover Tabletalk, Simon and Ed Crisford Meydaan and Brian Ellison Onesmoothoperator, who was 12th in the race in 2024.