Summit of owners' spring as Fiorente wins Melbourne Cup

IT'S taken Andrew Roberts two years to win a Melbourne Cup.

Fiorente's owners celebrate winning the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Mark Evans

IT'S taken Andrew Roberts two years to win a Melbourne Cup.

His mate Jack Bongiorno, who convinced Roberts to buy into yesterday's Cup winner Fiorente, has been chasing the dream since childhood.

"As a young lad I lived in Flemington; my father (Jack) was an SP bookmaker," 51-year-old Bongiorno said.

"We used to own horses and race horses all of our lives."

Bongiorno, now a Brighton local and director of Marshall White Real Estate, is one of about 40 owners of Fiorente, who delivered Gai Waterhouse her first Melbourne Cup.

He also had a slice of Waterhouse's 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado, but yesterday's win was "like climbing Mount Everest".

"I've had dozens and dozens of horses. I was lucky enough to win the Caulfield Cup and I was lucky enough to become associated with Gai Waterhouse," he said.

"We've become great friends and have been lucky enough to have been asked to come into some great horses with them."

Roberts, a 47-year-old investor, bought into his first horse two years ago and took a quarter share in Fiorente just before last year's Melbourne Cup.

"I was the one who dragged him (Roberts) into Fiorente," Bongiorno explained.

"It was a good thing to do as a mate."

The first run for the syndicate was a second placing in last year's Cup - and a $900,000 cheque.

"I did feel it would have almost been unjust had we won it first up," Roberts said yesterday.

"It gave us such a desire to be back."

Sydney-sider Roberts knows just how hard racing can be.

His father John Roberts, who passed away about seven years ago, founded the Multiplex construction company and was chairman of the West Australian Turf Club.

Roberts Sr raced horses for 40 years with mixed success and was also a breeder. His best result was with Beaux Art, which ran sixth in the 1995 Melbourne Cup, but he had more luck in Western Australia.

"I'd seen how many years he pursued it for moderate success," Roberts said.

"It's just so difficult. I don't think it's lost on me how special this moment is."

It was Robbie and Gai Waterhouse who convinced Roberts that European import Fiorente was a serious Melbourne Cup contender.

"It was very much set for the Melbourne Cup, there was no suggestion of otherwise," he said.

The horse is likely to remain a naturalised Aussie regardless of his racing future.

"Fiorente's Australian owned," Roberts said.

"Whether we decide to campaign him in Europe or not, when he decides to go to stud, if that's the course we take, I would think he's likely to stay (in Australia)."