Prix Kergolay becomes 11th ballot-free qualifier for the Melbourne Cup
The Victoria Racing Club’s desire to continually grow the international appeal of the Melbourne Cup, has seen it add a French Group 2 to its list of golden ticket races.
Nearly half of the field of this year’s Melbourne Cup could be made up of horses with “golden tickets” into the famous Flemington race after the Victoria Racing Club added an international Group 2 contest to the list of ballot exemptions.
The Prix Kergolay, a 3000-metre race held in Deauville each August, has become the third international race and the 11th overall, which offers its winner a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup.
The connection between the French race and the Flemington handicap was established when American won at Deauville in 2010 and then went on to win the Melbourne Cup later that year. The 2011 Cup winner Dunaden finished ninth in the Kergolay that year.
Protectionist completed the double in 2014 while Marmelo ran second in both races in 2018. Presage Nocturne, which ran third in 2025, went on to run fourth in the Caulfield Cup and eighth in the Melbourne Cup.
The Prix Kergorlay joins the Belmont Gold Cup in the United States and the Ebor Handicap in the United Kingdom as international races to carry ballot exemption.
There are eight Australian “golden ticket” races, including the Roy Higgins (2600m), which is run this Saturday.
The list also includes the Andrew Ramsden (2800m), the Bart Cummings (2500m), the Caulfield Cup (2400m), the Moonee Valley Gold Cup, the Geelong Cup, the Cox Plate (2040m) and the Archer Stakes (2500m).
“France has a storied history and connection with the Lexus Melbourne Cup, and we are delighted to formalise our partnership with France Galop by introducing the Sumbe Prix Kergorlay as a Golden Ticket race,” VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said.
“The Lexus Melbourne Cup attracts the best stayers from across the world, and this new partnership both incentivises and ensures that the strongest international contenders are competing on the first Tuesday in November.”
“We look forward to building on this partnership and the long-shared bond between our two racing nations.”
Deputy chief executive of France Galop, Henri Pouret, said the partnership marks an exciting chapter.
“France Galop is delighted to deepen its partnership with the Victoria Racing Club, which now includes the Sumbe Prix Kergorlay as part of the route to the Lexus Melbourne Cup,” he said.
“Run over 3000 metres at the height of the Deauville Barrière Meeting in August, the Group 2 becomes the first race in continental Europe and the first European Group race to offer a “golden ticket” entry to one of the most iconic races in the world.
”It is also a fantastic opportunity to promote the Melbourne Cup to French and European racing professionals, who each season demonstrate their ambition to tackle the sport’s biggest international challenges.”
The winner of the Roy Higgins on Saturday will be looking to become the first horse to fulfil the ballot-free position in the Melbourne Cup since the race was granted that honour in 2023.
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