Tweenhills mare has first 2 in Melbourne Cup betting

The Qatar Racing-owned Galileo mare Roheryn, who usually resides at Tweenhills, is currently responsible for a rather unique feat: her sons Middle Earth and Buckaroo head the betting for the 2025 Gr.1 Melbourne Cup. 

A Listed winner herself for Qatar Racing in the summer of 2014, Roheryn has proven an absolute superstar in her second career. All five of her runners have won and reached a Racing Post Rating of 93+. 

Buckaroo won two Listed raced for Qatar Racing when trained in Ireland and has done even better in Australia, taking the Gr.2 Chelmsford Stakes and Gr.1 Underwood Stakes, both last September. He also shaped much better than the result when 9^th in the Melbourne Cup for Chris Waller. 

Ciaron Maher now trains Middle Earth, who won a Listed race and the Gr.3 Sky Sports Racing Stakes (Ascot Park) in Britain last May. After running in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot and Gr.1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, Middle Earth made his eagerly anticipated Australian debut on Saturday, when he won the Australian Cup Prelude from another ex-European in Duke de Sessa (who beat a very unlucky Buckaroo in last season’s Gr.1 Caulfield Cup). 

Middle Earth will now head for the Gr.1 Australian Cup at Flemington on March 29 as he bids to emulate Buckaroo in winning at the highest level. Buckaroo has come through a recent trial in good shape and could run in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes on March 22. 

Roheryn’s daughter Siege of Troy won in Ireland in her first season in 2024, when also 3^rd in a Stakes race in the US. 

What’s more, Kihavah won off 97 on the Flat last September and was runner-up in a Listed hurdle in October.  

Roheryn has spent most of her breeding life at Tweenhills – her 2022 colt by Kameko was the sire’s highest-priced yearling of 2023 when selling for €310,000 – but she has also been to Ireland, France and the US.