Heartbreak City’s Irish connections promise to drink their fill after Melbourne Cup placing

THE madcap Irishmen reckon they would not have made it through the night if Heartbreak City had landed the Melbourne Cup prize. So second was a great result.

Almandin jockey Kerrin McEvoy, (left), is congratulated by Heartbreak City hoop Joao Moreira.

THE madcap Irishmen reckon they would not have made it through the night if Heartbreak City had landed the Melbourne Cup prize.

So second was a great result.

There has been plenty of craic since the Irish lads who co-own Heartbreak City arrived Down Under.

But New York bar owner Aidan Shiels, an ex-pat Irishman who has been known to blow the froth off the occasional pint of beer, would have partied until 2017 if Heartbreak City had lobbed in the Cup.

“I drink anything that flows,” Shiels told News Corp in the chaotic Cup aftermath.

“We are all very thirsty lads.

Almandin jockey Kerrin McEvoy, (left), is congratulated by Heartbreak City hoop Joao Moreira.

“But I think in running second, we might actually make it through until tomorrow. I am not sure we would have if we had won.

“It’s been a great time for all of us.

“We would have just been happy to come out to Australia for a drink and if he had finished 24th, I still would have been happy.

“But we led for a long way up the straight, we were ahead of everything else, and that is a massive thrill.”

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Heartbreak City trainer Tony Martin, the canny Irishman renowned for successful big betting plunges, had a lot riding on it as Almandin edged him out in the closing stages of an epic Cup duel.

Martin had plenty of dosh in Cup bets on his stayer at $66-1 earlier this year.

You suspect the difference between first and second would have been a massive difference in his bank account.

“I don’t know what it would have been worth to me if he won ... let’s just say it would have been worth a lot,” Martin said.

“But he ran absolutely brilliant. We just got to the lead a bit early and we were a sitting duck for the other horse (Almandin).

Aidan Shiels at the barrier draw.

“I would have preferred if we had the last shot at the other horse, rather than the other way around. He just outstayed us at the end.”

The Magic Man Joao Moreira, the kid who grew up in Brazil stealing horses from neighbouring properties, almost pinched his first Melbourne Cup.

Moreira enjoyed his best Cup finish with Heartbreak City and immediately promised he would be back for more next year.

“It is a matter of time and I will be back and I will win this,” Moreira said.

“Turning for home I thought he was going to win when I went by Hartnell easily.

“But then I looked to my outside and I saw Kerrin (McEvoy) had his horse full of himself as well.

“We went for a battle and my horse tried his very best, he gave 120 per cent.

“Running second is not the best but I can’t be disappointed with the horse.”

Originally published as Heartbreak City’s Irish connections promise to drink their fill after Melbourne Cup placing