USA trailblazer among international Spring raiders arriving in Melbourne tonight

The Parchment Party is about to begin in earnest for connections of the pioneering American galloper, who is among five international horses scheduled to touch down on Australian shores later tonight ahead of his quest to break new ground in the $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington. 

Trained by US Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Parchment Party is bidding to become the first ever American representative in the race that stops a nation on 4 November, where he will be ridden by legendary American jockey Johnny Velazquez.

Having already swapped New York for Newmarket last month to undergo his mandatory pre-export quarantine in the UK, the progressive stayer will complete the final leg of his global odyssey tonight when he arrives at the Werribee International Horse Centre.

The American trailblazer and his travelling companions will bring the number of international horses stabled at Werribee to 11 upon their arrival, with representatives from USA, France, Germany, England, Ireland and Japan in town for the Spring Racing Carnival.

Parchment Party is being accompanied on the flight by a host of European raiders, spearheaded by recent Group 1 Irish St Leger (2800m) hero Al Riffa, who is a clear second-favourite in Melbourne Cup betting markets behind impressive Turnbull Stakes (2000m) winner Sir Delius.

Al Riffa’s Joseph O’Brien-trained stablemate Goodie Two Shoes, Royal Ascot runner-up Furthur and globetrotting German stayer Flatten The Curve complete tonight's quintet of international arrivals.

That group will join up with jet-setting jockey Damian Lane’s Melbourne Cup mount Chevalier Rose, who arrived at Werribee from Japan on Monday afternoon.

Chevalier Rose’s arrival brings the Japanese representation at Werribee up to two after the Caulfield Cup-bound Golden Snap landed in Melbourne on 29 September, a day after the first shipment of internationals touched down on Australian soil.

Having now completed her post-export quarantine, Golden Snap was free to venture down for her first look at Caulfield earlier this morning, where she completed her preparations for Saturday’s $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) with a gallop over 1200 metres on the course proper.

The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Meydaan, who has been the subject of strong market support in the lead up to Saturday’s feature, also worked on the course proper this morning before returning back to Werribee, where fellow Caulfield Cup contenders Absurde and Presage Nocturne remain stabled.

That quartet are striving to become the seventh internationally-trained horse to win the Caulfield Cup with Japanese stayer Mer De Glace the last to do so in 2019.

American owners get the Parchment Party started

Since Vintage Crop blazed a trail for Ireland in the 1993 Melbourne Cup, a further eight internationally-trained gallopers have etched their names onto Australian racing’s most famous trophy but none has made the mammoth journey to Australia from ‘the land of the free’.

Jim and Dana Bernhard, the proprietors of Pin Oak Stud in Kentucky and co-owners of Parchment Party, have expressed their excitement and anticipation as their “cool”, “smart” and “stoic” horse aims to conquer the world and set a precedent in the 165-year history of the iconic contest.

“This will be our first trip to Australia, so to be able to experience your beautiful country while competing in a race of such global significance is something we could only dream of when we first got involved in racing,” said Team Bernhard, who took over the day-to-day running of Pin Oak Stud in late-2022.

“The Melbourne Cup is one of the biggest races in the world and we have heard all about the prestige it carries, so we are all really excited. This will be our first international runner, and for it to be a history-maker is such an honour. Our goal has always been to become ‘America’s racing stable’ and to have a team of horses that the general public would want to root for.”

Parchment Party will be reunited on the first Tuesday in November with his regular rider Johnny Velazquez, who was in the saddle when the five-year-old entire secured his Melbourne Cup ticket courtesy of a wide-margin victory in the ‘win and you’re in’ Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (2816m) at Saratoga back in June.

When pressed on whether Parchment Party, who is rated a $51 chance, can pull off a heist and return to Kentucky with the Melbourne Cup in his luggage, connections are nothing if not bullish.

“We’ll reward the people who believe in us,” said Team Bernhard.

“We’re getting 16 pounds (7kg) from the top-weighted horses, which is a huge advantage for us. Plus we have one of the best riders in the world in Johnny V. He knows the horse well and has ridden him in his last two wins, so for him to commit to making the journey over was another massive vote of confidence for us.

“Even though he’s never competed over two miles before, we have no doubts whatsoever that his ability to last the distance because you couldn’t write a race that’s too long for him. He loved the 2800 metres at Saratoga in both his recent wins there and continued galloping out past the line, so we have no concerns over his stamina.”