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Under-the-radar Cup roughie who has been “demolishing” rivals
Andrew Slevison • October 29th, 2025 3:45 pm
There are a handful of international raiders who are garnering plenty of attention ahead of this year’s Melbourne Cup.
The 3200m handicap at Flemington next Tuesday has attracted some quality overseas raiders who will bring with them many differing formlines.
Al Riffa, Presage Nocturne, Meydaan, Furthur and Onesmoothoperator, who ran in last year’s Cup, are among the internationals who have been spoken about regularly in the build-up.
But there is one horse in particular who has piqued the interest of Leigh Jordan, the Victorian Racing Club’s GM of racing.
He has been taken by a French-bred German raider named Flatten The Curve, who has won eight of his last 10 starts, is trained by German Henk Grewe and will be ridden by his regular hoop Thore Hammer-Hansen.
“One international you haven’t mentioned is Flatten The Curve, trained by Henk Grewe,” Jordan said on SENTrack & RSN’s Giddy Up.
“I know he’s a bit of a roughie but since Henk took over the horse he’s never lost a race on turf. He was in the Belmont Gold Cup when they changed to dirt and he obviously didn’t handle it.
“Thore Hammer-Hansen is a boar. And that horse has got really good form, he could fly under the radar a bit.
“A bit of a roughie there.”
Flatten The Curve is currently $41 with Bet365 for next week’s Melbourne Cup.
His jockey, German-born Hammer-Hansen, is little known down under.
The 25-year-old dominates German racing having won the past two jockeys’ championships in his home country.
The superbly named Thore truly believes Flatten The Curve can provide a hammer blow to the hopes of the locals and the other internationals by winning the race that stops a nation.
“I really do,” he told Gareth Hall when asked if he thinks he can win the Cup.
“Every test we’ve put him up to, apart from the dirt, he’s come out even better after.
“He’s been demolishing the fields. It will be interesting to see how he compares to international runners now.”
SENTrack’s Hall suggested Flatten The Curve shouldn’t be as long as $51 with some bookmakers.
The jockey agreed.
“I don’t think so either. I think he’s massively overpriced,” Hammer-Hansen said.
“I know it’s really hard to translate the form that he’s coming with but I think on the horse she’s beaten alone and the fact that nothing has really matched him. He’s had one tight race in a Group 2 in Berlin and he still came out on top.
“Other than that he’s just been demolishing the fields.”
Flatten The Curve is guaranteed a start in next week’s Cup where he will carry 53.5kg.
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