Melbourne Cup Runners as Sports Teams

Al Riffa has that sort of legacy energy about it, plus being Irish-trained, I’ve got one for the Boston basketball fans out there.

Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien, son of the legend Aidan O’Brien, is bringing Al Riffa down under. For Boston fans, you’ll be happy to have the favourite in something because your basketball team… meh

Capable of brilliance, but has a bad habit of finishing second. The pressure is on both Buckaroo and the Gunners to get something out of their ‘seasons’.

Arapaho isn’t the flashiest horse in the race but is certainly consistent. Throw in some blue-collar energy and you’ve got the Pittsburgh Steelers.

22 years of winning seasons for the Burgh! Talk about consistency.

The name Vauban commonly refers to the 17th-century French military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, known for his innovation in fortification.

So the guy basically was the goat at designing a fortress.

Vauban may be French, but the biggest sporting fortress in the world has to be the Spanish giants, Real Madrid.

Chevalier Rose, or in French, the Knight of the Rose, sounds elegant enough but I have to liken this horse to Newcastle right?

It would be rude to not have a Knight running in the Melbourne Cup be linked to the Newcastle Knights.

This Irish-bred runner fits Celtic Football Club’s deep roots. Passion meets heritage.

Middle Earth isn’t a Kiwi-bred horse but it certainly is a horse that embodies the homegrown toughness identity and physical nature that comes with rugby in the Waikato.

When on song, can be a scary sight for anyone going against them.

Meydaan is smooth, methodical and engineered for excellence. The same way Man City’s systems and style of play is set up for.

Plus they have Erling Haaland who his the most prolific goal scorer in the world. Who’s the best jockey in the world?

J-Mac.

Absurde brings flair and unpredictability and with that either comes a dazzling performance or disappointment.

If that’s not the Bunnies, then I don’t know what is. You ride the highest highs as well as the lowest lows.

Think KD, Kyrie and James Harden in Brooklyn.

One day they’re looking like a world-beater and the next you’re left thinking ‘what the f*** was that?’

The Stags are very down to earth, loyal to the core and have a great community and sense local pride about them.

They’ve been able to surprise the big guns in the past, too, when they’ve been underestimated, so don’t be surprised if you see Land Legend in the mix. All the Stags needed was game to grab the Ranfurly Shield; all Land Legend needs is one big race!

Smokin’ Romans feels like he’s been around forever, just like Everton. Always fighting above his weight and always finds a way to hang in with the big boys… sounds like the Toffees to me.

Not the flashiest, but all heart and can sometimes produce a big one when the top dogs aren’t expecting it.

Always going through a transition, turnover or a reinvention of sorts is literally Chelsea’s brand.

The changing of the guards outside Buckingham Palace happens three times a week; Chelsea probably goes through about three transitions a week.

You can never count them out though.

You could call Half Yours an honorary Queenslander after winning the Caloundra Cup earlier in the year. A local favourite and always in the fight.

Half Yours looks every bit the complete package, just like this year’s Broncs. Strong, consistent, and capable of going the distance.

A great match here with the name and the Raiders’ outlaw image go hand-in-hand.

Bold and bad to the bone, a danger when they’re on… but when was they last time they we’re on?

The name says it all.

When I think of a smooth operator, I think of Carlos Sainz.

Smooth, of course, but always classy and always entertaining. Sainz’s blend of flair and control suit this horse perfectly.

There’s a steady grind to Furthur’s form.

Hit or miss, but on their day, they can beat any other team, and the same goes for Furthur. They may not steal the headlines early on but are always hanging around when it matters most.

The Yankees obviously have a huge blend of tradition, history, celebration and a decent trophy cabinet.

Parchment Party comes out of the U.S. and won the Birdstone Stakes in August at Saratoga… New York.

Tough, durable and capable of grinding out a win. Athabascan is based at Randwick but gives off some real outback energy, perfectly suited for the North Queensland Cowboys.

Deceptively nice by name is Goodie Two Shoes, but it’s sort of got that rough and ready style that the Canberra Raiders have.

When push comes to shove, you either want to be on the Raiders team or off the field completely.

Where else do you see a river of stars if it’s not Hollywood?

River Of Stars will be strutting around Flemington on Tuesday, just like I’m sure LeBron and the rest of his LA team strut amongst the glitz and glamour that comes with being on that team.

Big names, big moments and built for the big stage.

A name that deserves a team that is at a royalty level in their sport.

Barcelona is and always will be footballing royalty. They’ve had the best players in the world wear their colours and Royal Supremacy moves with class and control, a bit like prime Barcelona and their tiki-taka.

This is a fun one, a Kiwi-bred horse too. Torranzino is explosive, a joy to watch but can be extremely erratic.

A bit of brilliance followed by a real head-scratcher. Just like the team all New Zealanders love and adore.

All heart and heritage for Valiant King. A U.K.-bred horse based in Flemington out of Chris Wallers stable. Liverpool, a Premier League football club, but… under American ownership.