Melbourne Cup: Vow And Declare defies wave of internationals to win Australia’s great race
There was a sense of national pride about Vow And Declare’s triumph in the Melbourne Cup. The Danny O’Brien-trained gelding defied a wave of internationals to become the first locally-trained stayer to win the Cup since 2009.
Melbourne Cup
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The Melbourne Cup result was a source of national pride.
The most famous trophy in Australian sport is staying home.
Vow And Declare, the locally-bred gelding, defied a wave of overseas stayers to win the race that stops a nation at Flemington on Tuesday.
The Cup winner’s connections are all Australians, too – trainer Danny O’Brien, jockey Craig Williams, and the ownership group led by Camden-based Geoff Corrigan.
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Vow And Declare became the first locally-bred stayer to win the Melbourne Cup since Shocking won in 2009.
O’Brien conceded it is becoming increasingly harder for Australian stayers to repel the northern hemisphere-trained stayers.
“The way the race has changed over the last decade it has become an elusive target for a local trainer,’’ O’Brien said. “When I had Master O’Reilly as the favourite in 2008 there were probably five or six internationals but this year there were 22.
“To do it with a locally-bred horse is not something that is going to happen very often but today shows it can still be done.’’
In a thrilling, controversial finish where only two lengths separated the first nine over the line, Vow And Declare ($11) won the Melbourne Cup by a head before 81,408 race fans.
An upheld protest meant that Prince Of Arran ($17) was elevated to second and Il Paradiso ($15) was awarded third placing. Master Of Reality ($26) was second over the line but was relegated to fourth on protest.
The Melbourne Cup, as always, was full of history-making feats, drama and incident. The highlights included:
* Jockey Craig Williams finally won the Melbourne Cup at his 16th attempt and becomes just the eighth rider to win the Grand Slam of Australian racing – Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper.
* O’Brien adds a Melbourne Cup to his previous big-race wins with Master O’Reilly in the 2008 Caulfield Cup and Shamus Award’s 2013 Cox Plate.
* Racing Vicitoria stewards initiated the protest on behalf of the connections of Il Paradiso against second-over-the-line Master Of Reality for interference near the finish.
* The protest involved father and son trainers, Aidan O’Brien (Il Paradiso) and Joseph O’Brien (Master Of Reality) and was subsequently upheld.
* Frankie Dettori, rider of Master Of Reality, was suspended for nine days for causing the interference.
* Finche was sent out the $8.50 favourite and ran seventh after appearing to have every chance.
* Rostropovich ($41) finished a long last and was later found to have suffered a pelvis injury but is expected to make a full recovery.
Vow And Decalre’s Melbourne Cup win is the ultimate redemption story for Danny O’Brien after his training career was embroiled in the cobalt scandal in 2014.
O’Brien always maintained he had no knowledge of how four of his horses tested positive and after an exhaustive legal process the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found in his favour years later.
He said even in those dark days when his training career was at the crossroads, he was determined to clear his name.
“I was never going to throw in the towel because I was always confident that once it went beyond the racing jurisdictions I would be found completely innocent,’’ O’Brien said.
“We never had any nefarious intentions with anything we did.
“This is a business where you need to build resilience and I don’t think anyone survives in racing without some down times.
“You get used to disappointments and you learn there are good times and bad.
“I think everyone who puts a saddle on a horse every morning never gives up hope. This is a game of hope.’’
O’Brien revealed but for some “sliding doors” moments he may not have got to train Vow And Declare.
The trainer had just purchased a yearling at the Inglis Easter Sales five years ago when a gentleman introduced himself and asked if he could buy into the horse.
“I had never met Geoff Corrigan but he came up to me and took half of the horse on the spot,’’ O’Brien said.
Then two years ago, Vow And Declare was passed in as a yearling but Corrigan arranged its purchase and sent the horse to O’Brien to train. The rest goes down in Melbourne Cup history.
THE JOCKEY
Craig Williams had enough of near misses in majors this spring - so he produces one of the most daringly brilliant Melbourne Cup-winning rides on Vow And Declare at Flemington.
“Someone said the other day that it would be pretty sad if I ran second in the Caulfield Cup, second in the Cox Plate and don’t win the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “It (not winning a Melbourne Cup) was not going to define me as a person, I wanted to make sure of that.
“I missed out in 2011 and that was disappointing. After I won the Geelong Cup on Dunaden, I said to my wife, Larysa. we will win the Melbourne Cup but unfortunately I was suspended and I couldn’t ride the horse.’’
Williams, 42, admitted he found himself making a similar promise to his wife after riding Vow And Declare in last month’s Caulfield Cup.
“When Danny O’Brien confirmed me (for the Melbourne Cup) on Vow And Declare, I said to my wife again that we were going to win the Melbourne Cup, I was that confident after the Caulfield Cup,’’ Williams said.
Williams delivered this time with a tactically astute ride on Vow And Declare to win the Melbourne Cup, giving the jockey the fourth and final leg of Australian racing’s Grand Slam.
“Craig’s a guy that is meticulous in his preparation but he dances to his own beat, he backs himself in,’’ said Danny O’Brien, trainer of Vow And Declare.
“I thought it was an incredibly brave thing to go leading past the post the first time. He has then got the horse into the box seat. It’s won him the race.’’
Williams was having his 16th Melbourne Cup ride and finally he secured the most prized trophy in Australian sport.
“Of my riding career, it’s absolutely the biggest moment,” Williams said.
“To be lucky enough to be associated with an Australian-bred horse as the race is now so international, it’s just wow. It is very special to be able to win our greatest race.
“Whenever I meet new people....but have you won the Melb Cup? They look very disappointed or I’m not an accomplished rider if you haven’t won the Melbourne Cup. “It just resonates with everyone. It stops the nation. It’s very special so I’m very thrilled.’’