The Malaysian Insider

MELBOURNE, Nov 3 — Australia’s Shocking roared past Ireland’s Crime Scene in the closing stages to win the Melbourne Cup today and grant jockey Corey Brown sweet redemption after a string of heart-breaking near misses.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained four-year-old was driven wide going into the final straight but reeled in Crime Scene to deny the foreign raiders a fourth Melbourne Cup victory in the 3,200 metre handicap’s 149-year history.

Irish stayer Mourilyan, trained by South African Herman Brown, finished third in the A$5.5 million (RM16.9 million) race’s 23-horse field.

Starting at 10-1, the win helped Brown erase the pain of three narrow defeats in Australia’s richest race, the last a galling photo-finish loss on British entrant Bauer 12 months ago, when the Bart Cummings-trained Viewed prevailed by a nose.

“I was worried the whole race,” Brown told reporters after taking a tearful victory lap of Flemington racecourse.

“I’ve had a spot on my mantelpiece for this Cup for a long time and now I can finally put one there,” added the jockey, who also came runner-up on Mr Prudent in 2002 and third on Lahar in 1999.

Perhaps having learned from last year’s agony, Brown timed Shocking’s run to perfection coming into the home straight, biding his time as early front-runners Warringah and Roman Emperor fell back in the face of a strong head-wind.

As Crime Scene made a dash for the line, Brown rode on the Irish stayer’s heels for shelter before making his own charge, and after a thrilling two-horse sprint, took the lead with 100 metres left and held on to win by a length.

“I just wanted to get well into the straight before I exposed him again. It was a tough effort, travelling three wide in a Melbourne Cup and still win,” Brown said.

Victory for Shocking, embraced as a “battler” in comparison to the more polished entrants fielded by Cummings and the foreign stables, was also sweet for trainer Kavanagh after a difficult racing season.

‘TICKLED PINK’

“Spring Carnival’s a tough time for everybody and you’ve got to roll with the punches and if you let those things take you off track, you just lose sight of the ball,” said a beaming Kavanagh, whose pre-race favourite Shamoline Warrior fell sick on the eve of the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby race three days ago.

“I was tickled pink with the preparation and on Saturday I had him just a little proud and round and I knew that win would improve him a lot,” said Kavanagh, referring to Shocking’s win at the A$250,000 Lexus Stakes at the weekend.

“And the Melbourne Cup is obviously won by horses that peak on the day... Today, it’s pretty good.”

New Zealand’s Master O’Reilly and Harris Tweed finished fourth and fifth respectively in front of more than 102,000 spectators crammed into Flemington racecourse.

Irish entrant Changingoftheguard was scratched before the race after stewards deemed the horse lame.

South Australia’s Alcopop disappointed, finishing sixth, however, while last year’s winner and pre-race favourite Viewed was seventh after being saddled with the top weight of 58kg. — Reuters