Melbourne Cup 2016: Winning owner Lloyd Williams says his team still learning about racing European horse in Australia

MELBOURNE Cup-winning owner Lloyd Williams says his team is still learning about racing European horses in Australia.

Owner Lloyd Williams and jockey Kerrin McEvoy after Almandin won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday

WINNING a modern Melbourne Cup is an expensive exercise.

Sure, you might still get the occasional bargain-buy yearling purchase like Prince Of Penzance.

But with European-breds winning most modern Cups, the price tag doesn’t come cheap to secure one.

Lloyd Williams openly admits his drive to win the Melbourne Cup is one of passion, not one of economic benefits.

Even with Tuesday’s $3.6million first prize, the balance sheet for his racing empire sits well in the red.

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“Let’s not talk about economic investments. If I won 10 Melbourne Cups in the next 12 months it might help,” he said.

“I have bought some very bad horses to bring out here to (try to) win the Melbourne Cup.

“The success didn’t come quickly.”

Owner Lloyd Williams and jockey Kerrin McEvoy after Almandin won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday

Williams said he refocused his Melbourne Cup attack after Dermot Weld took the race in 1993 with Vintage Crop, although he had been trying well before then to import a Cup winner.

“We have learnt a little about what we need to do with the European horses when we bring them here. We certainly made plenty of mistakes,” he said.

“Back in the late 80s when Johnny Meagher was doing the work, we broke most of them down.

“We bought 40-odd horses between 1986 and ‘89 and that wasn’t exactly a good investment.

“They say you are never too old to learn. We are still learning.”

Williams attended the Cup for the first time since 1996 on Tuesday, having watched previous winners Efficient and Green Moon from his “home grandstand”.

But superstition means the 76-year-old may be back again according to his son Nick, who was in some doubt about attending on Tuesday after suffering a knee injury, which forced his father to attend.

“We are superstitious about everything. Once something is lucky, it doesn’t get changed,” Nick said.

Williams admitted being back made him re-think his policy about staying away from the races, where he has left Nick to be the public face of the stable.

“Today I really missed it. Great atmosphere. I am sad I haven’t been here before to be perfectly honest,” he said.

“I have been brought up in a Catholic family which were publicans and punters. All I can remember from the age of five was listening to the Melbourne Cup.

“It’s always been part of my life. I dream about it.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2016: Winning owner Lloyd Williams says his team still learning about racing European horse in Australia