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2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival: Gilbert Gardiner’s yays and ‘neighs’

Australia’s star jockey was J-Macnificent, the Flemington track played superbly and Knight’s Choice delivered a wonderful Melbourne Cup story. But we need to talk about Pride Of Jenni and Joao Moreira.

Gilbert GardinerGilbert Gardiner
@gilbertgardiner
4 min read
November 11, 2024 - 6:51AM
Melbourne Saturday review: Champions Day

Australia’s star jockey was J-Macnificent, the Flemington track played superbly and Knight’s Choice delivered a wonderful Melbourne Cup story. But we need to talk about Pride Of Jenni and Joao Moreira.

Gilbert Gardiner dissects the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival, awarding his annual yays and neighs.

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YAYS

J-MACNIFICENT
Jockey James McDonald delivered another Melbourne Cup Carnival clinic with a record 11 winners for the week, including four of the seven Group 1s he contested. McDonald moved to the top of the Longine’s World’s Best Jockey rankings, based on Group 1 results, with his four top class winners – Switzerland (Coolmore Stud Stakes), Atishu (Empire Rose Stakes), Sunshine In Paris (Champions Sprint) and Via Sistina (Champions Stakes).

SHARING THE SPOILS
Six stables shared in the eight Group 1 winners, including John Symons and Sheila Laxon (Melbourne Cup), Andrew Gluyas (Victoria Derby) and Matt Laurie (VRC Oaks). Champion trainer Chris Waller dominated with three elite winners for the week (Coolmore Stud Stakes, Empire Rose Stakes and Champions Stakes). Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald and the Lindsay Park training partnership Ben, JD and Will Hayes claimed the Champions Sprint and Champions Mile respectively.

KNIGHT’S CHOICE
John Symons and Sheila Laxon believed in their horse and preparation and got the result, courtesy of a perfect ride from Robbie Dolan. As others jostled for positions and runs in the famous Flemington straight, Irish expat Dolan sliced through the field on Knight’s Choice to win Australia’s most famous race at his first attempt. As well as he sings, Dolan will forever be known as a Melbourne Cup winner. Laxon went from trailblazer to legend last Tuesday, winning her second Melbourne Cup from as many runners after Ethereal completed the Cups double in 2001.

MELBOURNE CUP VETERINARY CHECKS
They may be strenuous and stressful, with multiple scans, inspections and trot ups required, but they work most importantly. For a fourth straight year, since Racing Victoria and Victoria Racing Club introduced the stringent Melbourne Cup veterinary protocols in 2021, the race that stops a nation has been run and won without incident. Spare a thought for the trainers, jockeys and owners of horses ruled out on veterinary advice, but the race is bigger than any individual.

BILLY SLATER
An inspired selection by Channel Nine and Slater nailed the brief. His relaxed and friendly nature, combined with a passion and love for horses and racing, resonated with jockeys and free-to-air audiences alike. The rugby league legend-turned-broadcaster nailed the brief with short and sharp jockey interviews that extracted both insight and the emotion of the occasion.

WITHOUT A FIGHT
So good to see the 2023 Melbourne Cup winner back where he belongs – on the big stage at Flemington. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Cups double winner and Victorian Racehorse of the Year returned last Saturday with a gallant third in the Champions Stakes after more than a year off the scene.

ANOTHER WIL
A special and emotion-charged result for friends and family of the late Colin McKenna, who lost a short battle with illness a fortnight ago. Tears followed cheers at Flemington and the McKenna family’s Union Station Hotel, Woolsthorpe, north of Warrnambool, as home-bred Another Wil saluted in the Group 2 The Damien Oliver on Derby Day.

TRACK
Hear that? Nothing. Crickets. Nada. Bliss. Aggrieved punters had nothing to bleat about on social media this week and certainly not from a track perspective. Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe and his team once again prepared and presented a pristine racing surface for the arduous task of hosting 37 races across the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival. Kind weather helped the cause, O’Keeffe and company managed hot and windy drying conditions with a meticulous curation and watering program. The track played in the Good 4 range almost the entire week, with the exception of Good 3 upgrades late on Derby Day, Cup Day and Oaks Day.

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NEIGHS

PRIDE OF JENNI
Disappointing way for a modern star of the turf to flame out. The multiple Group 1 and All-Star Mile winner deserved to go out on top or fighting out a finish in trademark style. Did she really need to run in the Champions Mile after gut-busters in the King Charles III Stakes and Cox Plate seven days apart? Champion trainer Ciaron Maher wanted to spell the mare before a further discussion with owner Tony Ottobre, who last week also exercised his right to make a surprise jockey change. Ottobre retired Pride Of Jenni after she finished last in the Champions Mile last Saturday.

MELBOURNE CUP FAVOURITES
They do not win. Not often anyway. Three since the turn of the century to be precise and none since Fiorente in 2013. Legendary mare Makybe Diva achieved the feat in the second and third legs of her history and never-to-be-repeated Cup three-peat (2003-05). And yet we all piled into Buckaroo and Vauban, myself included, adamant this was the year.

JOAO-KEY BASHING
Joao Moreira has taken over from Frankie Dettori as the Melbourne Cup scapegoat. What more could he do on Buckaroo last Tuesday? Buckaroo was slow to begin from barrier 20 so he could not go forward. After exploring an option worse than midfield, Moreira took hold so as not to be trapped five wide on a horse already suspect at 3200m. Moreira had an option to get on the back of shock eventual winner Knight’s Choice, an $81 outsider, but opted for the more obvious choice, a cart behind second favourite Vauban, widely tipped as the horse to beat. Unfortunately the Irish stayer failed to fire and left Moreira and Buckaroo exposed at the top of the straight. The Caulfield Cup runner-up loomed into the mix but ultimately faded to run ninth as Knight’s Choice and Warp Speed, ridden for luck closer to the fence, sliced through the field to fight out the finish. Moreira rode for luck last year, a weaving run to help Soulcombe into second after the horse missed the start by three lengths, only to be criticised for that too.

Originally published as 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival: Gilbert Gardiner’s yays and ‘neighs’

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