Melbourne Cup drama as runner-up Master of Reality relegated to fourth after stewards protest
Frankie Dettori has landed himself in trouble with the stewards again after a dramatic postscript to the Melbourne Cup when his mount Master Of Reality was relegated from second.
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International superstar Frankie Dettori is again leaving Australia with an unwanted suspension and without a Melbourne Cup.
The flamboyant hoop was again the centre point of a dramatic finish to the 3200m staying event, causing interference in the shadows of the post that ultimately cost him second place.
The high drama that follows Dettori was again to the fore.
His mount Master Of Reality, trained by Joseph O’Brien, finished second to Vow And Declare but shifted in and squeezed the fast-finishing Il Paradiso, trained by Joseph’s father Aidan.
Stewards protested the result — fourth against second — and upheld their own objection, relegating Dettori’s mount to fourth and bumping Prince Of Arran to second and Il Paradiso to third.
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“I feel like I could cry,” the 48-year-old said after he fell a half-head short.
Master Of Reality part-owner Nick Williams said he was shattered that Dettori — who had asked to ride the five-year-old — had again come up short in his pursuit of a first Cup.
“Nothing would have been better than to have won the race with him,” Williams said.
“He’s the world’s best for a reason. I’m shattered for him. That was his race. But anyway, we’ll keep trying.”
Trainer Joseph O’Brien said he was “more gutted for Frankie than I am for myself”.
“I don’t know if Frankie is ever going to win this race,” he said.
The nine-meeting ban marked the second time that Dettori, who refused to speak to the media after the hearing, has been charged with careless riding in the Melbourne Cup over the last five years.
In 2015 he was hit with a $20,000 fine and month-long ban for interference when Michelle Payne saluted on Prince Of Penzance.
He said he had planned to fly to Japan last night but that was in doubt.
Stewards determined that the low-range offence had an impact on Il Paradiso jockey Wayne Lordan and race victor Craig Williams late in the race.
Dettori conceded that he “perhaps” could have corrected one stride sooner, but that he had “put both hands on the reins and corrected him”.
Il Paradiso’s jockey Wayne Lordan did his best to help Dettori’s case with stewards, maintaining he had not felt it had made a difference to his horse’s finishing position.
But stewards decided otherwise.
“I’ve come from a long way back,” Lordan said in the hearing.
“As I was getting there … I didn’t have to stop riding ... We have got tight, but I honestly don’t know how much of a difference it made.”
TJ Comerford, travelling foreman for Il Paradiso trainer Aidan O’Brien, said he considered the American stayer “unlucky”.
“He made up a lot of ground and he was just unlucky,” he said.
“No fault of anyone … he’s only getting going at the end. It was probably just unfortunate.”
Williams said that Master Of Reality, which he considered a “proper two-mile horse” would likely go straight back to Ireland with O’Brien.
Meanwhile, Michael Walker was banned for excessive whip use on third placegetter Prince Of Arran.
Walker used the whip 12 times prior to the 100m.
He plead guilty and was hit with a seven-meeting ban, starting on Thursday night, and a $10,000 fine.
“I broke the rules that we have in place,” he said.
“I’m not one that generally breaks the rules with regards to whip.
“It’s the Melbourne Cup. I was just throwing everything to see if I could win the race. It’s not like it was a maiden at Echuca. It’s the Melbourne Cup.”
All jockeys were reminded via text message this week of heightened penalties due to the extra focus on this week’s meetings.
MORE TO COME
Looking at the head on vision, I would say there's amble grounds for a protest 4th v 2nd. #MelbourneCup
— Bryce Parker (@bryce_parker26) November 5, 2019
That has to be a protest 4th vs 2nd surely! I am not invested on either. But that's a clear cut case for a protest surely?
— Parks12 (@Parks125) November 5, 2019
Prayers for a protest 4th vs 2nd with Il Paradiso
— Tim's Tips (@Tim_Tips) November 5, 2019