McDonald secures Melbourne Cup ride on UK-trained Meydaan

Champion jockey James McDonald has been booked to ride English stayer Meydaan in the $10 million Melbourne Cup.

The five-year-old, a Listed winner and Group 3 placegetter in England, finished ninth in last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup behind Half Yours.

Meydaan was forced to cover extra ground at Caulfield when ridden by Andrea Atzeni before being beaten less than five lengths in a promising Melbourne Cup trial.

Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, Meydaan has been allotted 54kg at Flemington.

McDonald, who won the 2021 Melbourne Cup on Verry Elleegant, will chase a fourth straight Group 1 Cox Plate victory at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

He rides favourite Via Sistina, who won last year’s race by eight lengths in track record time.

McDonald has also won the Cox Plate on Anamoe in 2022 and Romantic Warrior in 2023.