Australian-owned international Group 1 winner Al Riffa has been denied an attempt at another Melbourne Cup after a “minor” injury setback.

Al Riffa, a gallant seventh in the Cup last year under 59kg topweight, is set to miss a month of work but enough to scupper travel and potentially future racing plans.

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Australian Bloodstock director and managing owner Luke Murrell said the multiple Group 1-winning Wootton Bassett stallion prospect must recover to “110 per cent”.

“It’s a little lesion and how that looks basically when the swelling goes,” Murrell said.

“He’s done a bit of rehab and red light therapy (already) … it’s one of those where we wait and see.

“I would say it’s 50-50 (racing or stud next season), if there’s no improvement or not 110 per cent, I’d say it makes sense next year to go to stud.

“He’s a Group 1 winner at two and trained on, as an older horse, he’s pretty versatile, but I would say it’s 50-50 at this stage.”

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Al Riffa would be valuable at stud, not only as one of the best-performed and highest-rated sons of the super stallion Wootton Bassett overall but with the unique Group 1 double.

Al Riffa won a 1400m Group 1 in Ireland at two and another (Irish St Leger) over twice the distance later in his 21-start career to date.

Al Riffa, trained by Joseph O’Brien, has raced in Dubai, France, England and Ireland since the Melbourne Cup last year.

“He’s such a good, strong, mentally tough horse, nothing fazes him,” Murrell said.

The lightly-raced seven-year-old stayer placed in the Group 2 Curragh Cup (2816m) most recently last month.

The withdrawal of Al Riffa from Melbourne Cup consideration, with nominations to be announced on September 1, is going to affect the weight scale.

A minimum 59kg topweight is required for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups at the release of handicaps in mid-September.

Without a natural topweight, like Al Riffa, the highest-rated horse among entries must be allocated the 59kg impost.

A minimum 57kg topweight is required in the final field, meaning the weights may be raised accordingly at that time.

Reigning Melbourne Cup champion Half Yours, a $9 second favourite to defend the crown, could be among topweight candidates this year with 57kg a likely mark prior to the withdrawal of Al Riffa.

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Half Yours carried 53kg in the Melbourne Cup last year.

Australian Bloodstock, who won Cups with Protectionist (2014) and Gold Trip (2022), have Royal Supremacy aimed again at the race that stops a nation this year.

Royal Supremacy placed 15th last year but won the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) since.

Without A Fight won the Q22 in 2023 before completing a historic Cups double.

Murrell would love to qualify UK handicapper Wine Dark Sea, entered to race in a Group 3 at Newbury on Saturday, for the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups.

“If we could qualify him and get him into the Cups,” Murrell said.

“He’s certainly run some times to say he’s a top three or four chance.

“He’s only come through the handicaps but a lightly-raced four-year-old, no miles on the clock … if runs top three (Geoffrey Freer Stakes) he passes the ballot.

“I really think he’ll be a Group 1, Group 2 horse here in Australia.”

Australian Bloodstock acquired Wine Dark Sea prior to the four-year-old’s last start at Newmarket.

“He’s going to come (to Melbourne), he’ll have this run on the weekend and maybe a run the first week of September,” Murrell said.

“If we qualify well and good, if not we’ll have to go the hard way through the Moonee Valley Gold Cup or Geelong (Cup) … he’s a really good horse, one to watch.”

Originally published as Injury scuppers Al Riffa’s Melbourne Cup bid as racing future now ‘50-50’