Caulfield Cup 2018: epic journey, suspension cannot deny jockey Pat Cosgrave his place in history

IRISH jockey Pat Cosgrave travelled further than any other jockey to race, then copped a 11-week suspension for his troubles, but that all amounted to little as he captured the Caulfield Cup.

Jockey Pat Cosgrave and Best Solution combine to win the Caulfield Cup.

IT somehow seemed appropriate that the jockey who had travelled the furthest to ride in the race — on the horse that covered almost as much ground as any other contender — took out Saturday’s $5 million Caulfield Cup, as the internationals once again dominated proceedings.

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Pat Cosgrave, a 36-year-old hoop, originally from Northern Ireland, who now bases himself between Newmarket and Dubai, capped off a big week in Melbourne when he drove Godolphin stayer Best Solution to victory in the Caulfield Cup.

Never mind the fact that his trip to Melbourne ended with an 11-meeting suspension for careless riding that will cost him a ride in next Friday’s Manikato Stakes.

That ban was the last thing on his mind last night as he celebrated his second Caulfield Group 1 in the space of week, following his Caulfield Stakes victory on Benbatl last week.

“Caulfield is just a great place,” said Cosgrave, who now has seven Group 1s, including four this year.

Jockey Pat Cosgrove returns to scale after riding Best Solution to victory in the Caulfield Cup. Picture: AAP

“My two big winners of my career have been here. “I’m in dreamland now, it’s just crazy. I’ll enjoy myself (on Saturday night); and feel sorry for myself (on Sunday).”

Having originally planned to fly out to Dubai last night, Cosgrave was more content to wake in Melbourne with a headache, a healthier bank balance and growing confidence he can add another cup to his already swelling booty Down Under on the first Tuesday in November.

Cosgrave overcame a tardy start with Best Solution ($12), and at times a wide run in transit, to hold off Homesman ($9.50) by a half head in a driving charge to the line, with The Cliffsofmoher ($6.50) in third place.

“I can’t take any credit for it,” Cosgrave said of Best Solution’s win. “It was the horse, and it was (trainer) Saeed (Bin Suroor).

“Saeed was adamant that he had to be in the first four or five and he was right. I was last out of the gates. I was six deep around the first bend.

We’ve done it: Pat Cosgrave and Saeed Bin Suroor.

Worth the journey: Pat Cosgrave kisses the trophy.

“We walked basically from the mile to the 600m, and when James (McDonald on The Taj Mahal) went, I thought I am going to go as well.

“I thought at the 200m I might have gone too soon.”

Cosgrave joked: “If it had finished differently, it would’ve been the worst ride of the day.”

There is a nice touch of symmetry about Cosgrave’s Caulfield Cup success, given it came 20 years since Ray Cochrane rode Taufan’s Melody to victory in a controversial Caulfield Cup in 1998.

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Incredibly, both Cosgrave and Cochrane hail from Banbridge, County Down, in Northern Ireland.

This isn’t Cosgrave’s first trip to Australia, but he has enjoyed this one much more than the visit he made almost 20 years ago, as a young rider who didn’t see city tracks.

“It was a very different trip back then,” he joked. “I was riding at places like Wyong and Kembla Grange, and the small tracks.”

Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor (left) congratulates jockey Pat Cosgrave. Picture: AAP

He had celebrated hard the success with Benbatl last week and planned to do the same last night, despite the suspension costing him the ride on Aidan O’Brien’s Fleet Review in the Manikato Stakes on Friday night.

Cosgrave was Ireland’s champion apprentice in 2003, and rode for two years at Ballydoyle for champion trainer Aidan O’Brien before moving to England. He will now return to Dubai — reuniting with his wife Amelia and six-month-old Florence — before coming back to Australia in November to ride Best Solution, who is now a $9 chance to win the Melbourne Cup.