Live: Melbourne Cup day blog from Flemington Racecourse
JOCKEY Michelle Payne created one of the biggest upsets in Australian sport to win the Melbourne Cup with Prince of Penzance.
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A FEMALE jockey has won the Melbourne Cup for the first time in its history after Prince of Penzance produced one of the biggest upsets in Australian sport to win the 155th running of Australia’s greatest race.
Jockey Michelle Payne steered the unfancied ride to break away from the field at the 150m line before exploding to a half-length win.
Payne’s milestone moment comes 100 years after Mrs E A Widdis became the first female to own a Cup winner.
In one of the biggest upsets in Australian sport Prince of Penzance was considered a $100 shot with TAB before the race after drawing barrier one.
It means if you were to put a lazy $5 on the now-famous horse you would have won a return of $500 from the bookies.
“Unbelievable. I laid in bed last night and gave myself some time to think and dream about what it would be like to be here,” Payne said.
“It’s a dream come true. This horse is awesome, everything he’s been through.
“Far out I didn’t think he’d be that strong. He was towing me into the straight.”
The connections of the Darren Weir-trained six-year-old bay are now $3.6 million richer after taking out the lions share of the $6.2 million prize money on offer.
“This is one of the greatest chapters in the history of the race and boy there have ben a few,” Channel 7 commentator Bruce McAveney said.
Max Dynamite came home second while David Hayes trained Criterion finished third.
From euphoria to heartbreak, Cup legend Red Cadeaux was unable to finish the race with a reported leg injury.
The three-time runner-up was taken to a vets near the track and was able to walk with assistance from a small team.
Channel 7 reported trainer Ed Dunlop said Red Cadeaux was taken to a vets in Werribee and underwent immediate surgery.
However, there was only room for joy for the team that created history with Prince of Penzance.
Payne used her moment in the sun to speak out about the “chauvinistic” horse racing industry, saying she hopes her historic breakthrough will encourage more female jockeys to follow in her footsteps.
“To think that Darren Weir has given me a go and it’s such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off, and John Richards and Darren stuck strongly with me, and I put in all the effort I could and galloped him all I could because I thought he had what it takes to win the Melbourne Cup and I can’t say how grateful I am to them,” Payne told Channel Seven.
“I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world.
“This is everybody’s dream as a jockey in Australia and now probably the world. And I dreamt about it from when I was five years old and there is an interview from my school friends, they were teasing me about, when I was about seven, and I said, “I’m going to win the Melbourne Cup” and they always give me a bit of grief about it and I can’t believe we’ve done it.
“I was lying in bed last night and I thought about what it would be like if I was talking to you after this race.
“When I wanted this horse as a three-year-old, he won here and I thought this is a Melbourne Cup horse and he just felt like he would run the two mile out that strong but far out, I didn’t think he’d be that strong. He was still towing me into the straight. He just burst to the front and he was powering through, it’s just unbelievable.”
Weir, who is based out of Miners Ridge, on the outskirts of Ballarat in Victoria, promised there will be party in his home town tonight.
He said he told his connections he was hoping for a top 10 finish.
“This is an unbelievable feeling,” Weir said.
“What an absolute thrill and what a credit to the team.
“This has got harder every year. I keep saying to the owners it’s hard enough to get in it, let alone win it. I thought, maybe we could push for the top 10.”
It was his first Melbourne Cup win on a day of firsts for Australian sport.
1. PRINCE OF PENZANCE T: Darren Weir J: Ms Michelle Payne
2. MAX DYNAMITE T: Willie Mullins J: Frankie Dettori
3. CRITERION T: David Hayes & Tom Dabernig J: Michael Walker
4. TRIP TO PARIS T: Ed Dunlop J: Tommy Berry
5. BIG ORANGE T: Michael Bell J: James Spencer
6. GUST OF WIND T: John Sargent J: Chad Schofield
7. EXCESS KNOWLEDGE T: Gai Waterhouse J: Kerrin McEvoy
8. THE OFFER T: Gai Waterhouse J: Damien Oliver
9. QUEST FOR MORE T: Roger Charlton J: Damian Lane
10. OUR IVANHOWE T: Lee & Anthony Freedman J:Ben Melham
11. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN T: Chris Waller J: Blake Shinn
12. SERTORIUS T: Jamie Edwards J: Craig Newitt
13. FAME GAME T: Yoshitada Munakata J: Zac Purton
14. THE UNITED STATES T: Robert Hickmott J: Joao Moreira
15. HARTNELL T: John O’Shea J: James McDonald
16. BONDI BEACH T: Aidan O’Brien J: Brett Prebble
17. HOKKO BRAVE T: Yasutoshi Matsunaga J: Craig Williams
18. ALMOONQITH T: David Hayes & Tom Dabernig J: Dwayne Dunn
19. KINGFISHER T: Aidan O’Brien J: Colm O’Donoghue
20. PREFERMENT T: Chris Waller J: Hugh Bowman
21. GRAND MARSHAL T: Chris Waller J: Jim Cassidy
22. SKY HUNTER T: Saeed bin Suroor J: William Buick
23. SNOW SKY T: Sir Michael Stoute J: Ryan Moore
Last
RED CADEAUX T: Ed Dunlop J: Gerald Mosse
THE STORY OF THE BETTING
THE TAB has confirmed Prince of Penzance is the equal longest priced winner in Melbourne Cup history and the longest since 1940.
The unfancied horse was $100 with TAB fixed odds — the longest priced runner in the race.
Only three horses have won as bigger outsiders.
The Pearl (1871), Wotan (1936) and Old Rowley (1940) all won at $101.
While Fame Game started the race as a $5.50 favourite to win, despite placing 13th the 6-year-old is currently placed as the favourite to take out the 2016 Melbourne Cup at $12.
Here’s how the build-up to the great race unfolded
PROTEST DELAYS RACE
THE Melbourne Cup was late to jump because of a protest from racegoers who reportedly chained themselves to the Flemington railing.
The protesters were arrested and escorted from the racecourse by security.
Some protesters on track #MelbourneCup @abcnews pic.twitter.com/vc316j1Ec9
— Lawrence Champness (@champy) November 3, 2015
AUSSIE PUNTERS DIVIDED
AUSTRALIAN punters were at a loss to find the favourite for the Melbourne Cup with Trip To Paris jumping past Fame Game into favouritism on both TAB Totes.
The Japanese horse was the favourite at $5.25 with TAB fixed odds — compared to Trip To Paris at $7.
However, TAB spokesman Matt Jenkins said the market had been confused by the presence of “once-a-day punters” loading up on Trip To Paris.
“It’s the most uncertain we’ve been in years,” Jenkins told news.com.au of punters at 2pm.
“It’s one of the widest open Cups we’ve seen for a while.
“It’s extremely rare to have that difference and we expect by the time they jump the Tote will swing back and Fame Game will be favourite on Fixed Odds and the Tote.”
The TAB expected the market to correct itself in the 30 minutes before the race jumped at 3pm.
“In Fixed Odds betting Fame Game is on the drift as well,” Jenkins said.
“We expect it will still start favourite despite a huge push for Trip To Paris.
“When the flood of money comes in the last half an hour we expect that to turn around and Fame Game will be favourite at $6 on the TAB Tote.”
At 2pm, Trip to Paris was $5.80 on the Tote, while Fame Game was out to $6.90.
Almost one fifth of the money placed on the result had been wagered on Trip To Paris which has received 19% of the total money invested ahead of Preferment (11%), Fame Game (10%) and Criterion (7%).
Excess Knowledge, starting from barrier 24 has also been a big mover on the day of the race, coming into $26 from $35.
Fan favourite Red Cadeaux was one of the big drifters, sliding out from $21 to $26.
The TAB is expecting to hold more than 10 million bets on Melbourne Cup Day.
AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST CUP BET
BOOKMAKER Tom Waterhouse has trumpeted his $50,000 punt for unfancied Aussie nag Sertorius to produce one of the biggest upsets the Cup has seen as “Australia’s largest Cup bet”.
Waterhouse put out a statement saying he has placed the wager on the eight-year-old bay to win the great race at the unlikely odds of $101 - and stands to collect $5 million if the horse comes through.
Waterhouse clarified his bet is actually a sensible form of insurance to protect himself from potential losses from Sertorius winning the race.
“It’s unbelievable it’s such a big price,” he said.
“He and Fame Game ... we have big liabilities against them. And also the dynamics have changed quite a bit since we’ve been betting in play.
“The horses that are a big liability before the race - especially if they get a good start - can be really bad for us.”
The Australian Rugby Union recently placed a bet on the Wallabies to win the Rugby World Cup to protect itself from having to pay out more than $3 million in player bonuses if they did beat the All Blacks in the final.
TRIP TO PARIS IN TOP PADDOCK
CUP day favourite Trip To Paris has been enjoying his time in Australia a little bit too much.
The five-year-old gelding is 3kg heavier than when he arrived on our shores for the Spring Carnival, according to assistant trainer of the Ed Dunlop operation Robert Trevor-Jones.
“The questions seem to be the jump up from one-and-a-half miles to two miles, which we know will suit him,” Trevor-Jones told Sky Sports Radio.
“Everything’s gone well with him since his run at Caulfield.
“In fact, he’s 3kg heavier than when we got here.”
TRIP TO PARIS GETS CRUNCHED
JAPANESE Melbourne Cup favourite Fame Game has finally run out of momentum with punters, easing out to $4.60 with the TAB on the morning of the race that stops the nation.
It came as English stayer Trip To Paris surged in betting into outright second favouritism.
The Ed Dunlop trained gelding has been crunched into $7 to win Australia’s great race.
It’s a leap of faith from punters for Dunlop to shed his bridesmaid tag having trained perennial Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux, finishing second on three occasions.
Dunlop is yet to win a race in eight Australian starts, but has produced six placings.
Trip To Paris finished second in the Caulfield Cup and Manndawi was third in the Geelong Cup.
Since Saturday night’s barrier draw, Trip To Paris has firmed from $9 to $7 with one TAB punter outlaying $14,500 at $8.50 for a collect of a little more than $123,000.
The heavy support for Trip To Paris has resulted in the favourite Fame Game drifting from $3.20 after the draw to $4.60.
The Chris Waller-trained Preferment is the only other runner under $10 in Cup betting at $9.
The Lee and Anthony Freedman-trained Our Ivanhowe has firmed from $31 into $19 since Saturday night and is one of another six horses under $20 in Cup betting.
The only Australian-bred horse, Sertorius, has met with support firming from $201 to $101, but is still regarded as an outsider sharing that price with Quest For More and Prince Of Penzance.
For a full rundown of the horses to watch and the runners to avoid like the plague, take a look at Anthony Sharwood’s unique form guide.
TRACK CONDITIONS
A SECTION in the middle of the Flemington track remains softer than the inside but is expected to improve ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
After an inspection on Monday afternoon the part of the track from the rail to 10 metres out in the straight was rated a good (4) with the 10-14 metre section a soft (6).
But track manager Mick Goodie says he expects the surface to even out with cloud clearing throughout Tuesday morning and a sunny afternoon with a temperature of around 21 degrees predicted.
FREEDMAN: CRITERION THE FORGOTTEN HORSE
FIVE-TIME Melbourne Cup winner Lee Freedman has cautioned punters from chasing after the short odds on offer for favourite Fame Game.
The trainer of Cup runner Our Ivanhowe ($19 with the TAB) says the horse most punters seem to have forgotten about is five-year-old Kiwi Criterion.
“The class horse is Criterion,” Freedman told Sky Sports Radio.
“I know there are question marks about whether he can handle the two-miles, but in a race like this class can take you a long way.
“At some stage he will be up there right in the firing line.”
Criterion is rated a $15 chance with the TAB.
Freedman says Fame Game is yet to prove himself in Australia, despite his impressive finish while running sixth in the Caulfield Cup.
“In my mind his run wasn’t any better than any other horse in his position,” he said.
“I’m not sure about Fame Game. I think the odds are starting to correct themselves.”
FLEMINGTON’S FIRST FASHION
THE race doesn’t start until 3pm, but the celebs were up bright and early this morning to prepare for Melbourne Cup day.
Myer ambassadors Rachael Finch and Jen Hawkins are already trackside and colour is emerging as the big trend this year. Rachael is wearing a striped By Johnny dress and Jen is rocking a neon Toni Maticevski number.
The Myer Marquee will be one of the best spots to catch the race at the track today.
Myer Ambassadors Rachael Finch & Kris Smith have arrived at the #myermarquee! #EmiratesMelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/nv1pHqerlw
— MYER (@myer) November 2, 2015Off and racing!!! Going to be a great day at @FlemingtonVRC with James Boag's ✌ðŸ¼ï¸ðŸŽðŸ‘ðŸ¼ðŸ» #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/P8RAtPWh51
— Daniel MacPherson (@DanMacPherson) November 2, 2015Jennifer Hawkins takes colour to a new level on #MelbourneCup Day wearing Maticevski in the #myermarquee pic.twitter.com/TihHM1OkCT
— Spring Carnival (@springcarnival) November 2, 2015@francescacumani resplendent in Red @FlemingtonVRC takes @7Sport viewers thru 2yos in opener @FlemingtonVRC Cup Day pic.twitter.com/Zh2T0x7Vzv
— Greg Carpenter (@RVCarps) November 2, 2015SEE MORE CELEBS AT 2015 MELBOURNE CUP
RACE 1 — Emirates Airline Plate (1000M)
MELBOURNE Cup favourite Fame Game jockey Zac Purton got his day off to the perfect start when he rode Concealer to an unexpected to win, paying $20 with TAB fixed odds.
Prompt Response and Missrock placed.
RACE 2 — tab.com.au Trophy (1700m)
JAMES Cummings trained Zarzali was the winner of Race 2 at Flemington with Glen Boss having the ride.
The four-year-old mare was the race favourite and delivered for the Cummings family on the same day Bart Cummings was being remembered during Australia’s biggest race day.
Racing in the black and white checked colours made famous by Dato Tan Chin Nam’s two Cup winners Saintly and Viewed, Zarzali ($2.80 fav) fought hard over the final 200 metres to stave off the challenge from Precious Gem ($6.50) by a neck.
Bart Cummings, who trained both Saintly and Viewed for Dato Tan along with Think Big who won the Cup twice, died two months ago aged 87.
“It’s a very emotional day and we are all very appreciative of the tributes to Bart,” James Cummings said.
“I think perhaps someone was smiling from above.
RACE 3 — J.B. Cummings AM Tribute Plate (2800m)
DE LITTLE Engine tipped the front-runners at the line in an impressive run with jockey Chad Schofield getting the five-year-old foal out of traffic on the rail and into open track with just 200m before the line.
Jim’s Journey, who led down the straight, finished second ahead of Kiwi horse Tremec.
“He was good at the line,” Schofield said.
RACE 4 — Lavazza Short Black (1400m)
MALAGUERRA kicked away at the 200m line to run away from the pack and give trainer Lee Freedman an impressive win.
Jockey Ben Melham guided the four-year-old foal to a two-length win ahead of Good Project and Tashbeeh.
RACE 5 — Schweppes #FlemingtonFling (100m)
THE winning Victoria Derby combination of trainer Mick Price and jockey Craig Newitt has struck in a sprint race on Melbourne Cup day.
Invincible Heart ($15) worked her way through the pack towards the inside of the track to hold off Viceroy ($13) by a short head with the favourite Spill The Beans ($2.90) another 1-1/2 lengths third after he was forced to race on the worst part of the track from a wide gate.
Price, who trained Tarzino to win the Derby on Saturday, said he had high hopes for Invincible Heart who has now won three times from six starts.
“Craig had a plan and even though it was a 1000 metre race, and just the way this track is, he was going to have to plot a course between them,” Price said.
“She’s still learning and she’s not showing any signs of training off so if we can find another race for her we’ll be going for it.
RACE 6 — Lexus Hybrid Plate (1400m)
DON’T Doubt Mama took out the $150,000 Race No. 6 at Flemington.
The Tony McEvoy trained three-year-old filly claimed an impressive win ahead of Kiwi horse Indarra and Peter Snowden-trained Denpurr.
THE CUP FIELD
3pm, Group 1 (3200m)
1. SNOW SKY R Moore (16) 58kg
2. CRITERION M Walker (4) 57.5kg
3. FAME GAME Z Purton (12) 57kg
4. OUR IVANHOWE B Melham (22) 56kg
5. BIG ORANGE J Spencer (23) 55.5kg
6. HARTNELL J McDonald (17) 55.5kg
7. HOKKO BRAVE C Williams (20) 55.5kg
8. MAX DYNAMITE F Dettori (2) 55kg
9. RED CADEAUX G Mosse (8) 55kg
10. TRIP TO PARIS T Berry (14) 55kg
11. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN B Shinn (6) 54.5kg
12. SKY HUNTER W Buick (7) 54kg
13. THE OFFER D Oliver (13) 54kg
14. GRAND MARSHAL J Cassidy (15) 53.5kg
15. PREFERMENT H Bowman (11) 53.5kg
16. QUEST FOR MORE D Lane (21) 53.5kg
17. ALMOONQITH D Dunn (10) 53kg
18. KINGFISHER C O’Donoghue (9) 53kg
19. PRINCE OF PENZANCE Ms M Payne (1) 53kg
20. BONDI BEACH B Prebble (18) 52.5kg
21. SERTORIUS C Newitt (5) 52.5kg
22. THE UNITED STATES J Moreira (3) 52.5kg
23. EXCESS KNOWLEDGE K McEvoy (24) 51kg
24. GUST OF WIND C Schofield (19) 51kg
— with AAP
Originally published as Live: Melbourne Cup day blog from Flemington Racecourse
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