Golden ticket on offer in France

First run in 1864, the Prix Kergolay formed part of Deauville's inaugural race meeting. It was originally known as the Prix de la Société d'Encouragement, after the Société d'Encouragement, France's governing body for horse racing at the time.

The race was later renamed in honour of Florian de Kergorlay, who died in 1910. De Kergorlay had served as chairman of the Société des Courses de Deauville.

Run over 3000 metres, the Group 2 Prix Kergolay is Deauville's premier staying contest. The northern French track provides a picturesque setting for the race, which is held at the height of the Deauville Barrière Meeting in August.

Its position on the European calendar makes the Prix Kergolay an important stepping stone for horses with Lexus Melbourne Cup ambitions. Runners can use the race as a final opportunity to secure valuable form, and now a golden ticket, before entering quarantine and beginning their journey to Australia.

Over the past 30 years, 18 horses have contested the Prix Kergolay at Deauville before lining up in the Melbourne Cup later that year. Three of them went on to win the famous two-mile event at Flemington.

The 2011 edition produced the most notable crossover between the two races. Five Prix Kergolay runners continued on to the Melbourne Cup, with four finishing among the first five:

Americain and Dunaden each contested three Melbourne Cups. Americain won the 2010 Cup after claiming the Prix Kergolay and Geelong Cup during his lead-up.

Dunaden followed a year later, winning the 2011 Melbourne Cup before returning in 2012 to capture the Caulfield Cup. Red Cadeaux became a much-loved Melbourne Cup favourite during five appearances in the race, finishing runner-up three times. His narrowest defeat came in a famous photo finish behind Dunaden in 2011.

The most recent Prix Kergolay runner to travel to Melbourne was Presage Nocturne, who finished third behind back-to-back Kergolay winner Double Major. Trained by Alessandro Botti, the grey had already won the Group 3 Prix de Barbeville over 3000 metres and placed in the 3100-metre Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier before contesting the Kergolay.

Those performances gave Botti the confidence to target the Lexus Melbourne Cup in the spring of 2025, although Presage Nocturne ultimately finished 19th at Flemington.

History of Prix Kergolay runners in the Melbourne Cup;

See all the golden tickets on offer for this year's Lexus Melbourne Cup here.