Melbourne Cup 2018: Final finishing order

CROSS Counter stormed home in the Melbourne Cup with Kerrin McEvoy in disbelief. Here’s what the jockeys had to say.

AUSTRALIA can breathe again after the race that stops a nation came to a thrilling conclusion.

This is the final finishing order of the Melbourne Cup from first to last so you know whether you’ll be celebrating or commiserating with that next drink and what the jockeys had to say about how the race was run.

First

CROSS COUNTER — Trainer: Charlie Appleby, jockey: Kerrin McEvoy

“I was able to get on the back of Yucatan which I was pretty pleased about and I was still travelling well and I thought he can take me where I need to get to,” McEvoy said.

“Yucatan emptied a bit at the 500 and I was left to make my own way home. As I got into the clear I thought ‘far out I’m still a long way back’.

“I knew there was Prince of Arran and those horses up closer in the run, so full credit to the horse because when I asked him he had to make up a ton of ground and that’s exactly what he did. He was very responsive and quick and straight away for me.”

Second

MARMELO — Trainer: Hughie Morrison, jockey: Hugh Bowman

“Had his race, ran his race. Disappointed but proud of this horse and congratulations to Hughie for bringing him over in such good order,” Bowman said.

Third

A PRINCE OF ARRAN — Trainer: Charlie Fellowes, jockey: Michael Walker

“He’s all heart the horse, I couldn’t have wished for a better run. At least I’ve got a top chance for next year and I believe if he didn’t run Saturday he would’ve won today,” Walker said.

Fourth

FINCHE — Trainer: Chris Waller, jockey: Zac Purton

“Yeah excellent run I think if it was a firmer track he might have gone a lot closer,” Purton said.

The horses cross the finish line.

The rest of the results are as follows:

5. ROSTROPOVICH — Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, jockey: Wayne Lordan

“Run very well, very pleased with him so good day,” Lordan said.

6. YOUNGSTAR — Trainer: Chris Waller, jockey: Craig Williams

“I was delighted with her performance. The only female in the field, she had a lot of girl power today. We had a great run throughout and all I can say is I wouldn’t change anything bar the result. It will just season her up and make her harder for when she comes back.”

7. SIR CHARLES ROAD — Trainers: Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, jockey: Dwayne Dunn

“Super effort. Had a splendid run in transit. Probably just missing the Caulfield Cup, just lacked a little bit of fitness, but great run.”

8. BEST SOLUTION — Trainer: Saeed Bin Suroor, jockey: Pat Cosgrave

“Slow away and just playing catch-up after that. Just too far back.”

9. MUNTAHAA — Trainer: John Gosden, jockey: Jim Crowley

“He didn’t really travel. I thought he would be a bit keener than he was. The ground had maybe got a bit too soft for him as well. When we turned I thought he would be thereabouts but he just poked on one-paced.”

10. VENTURA STORM — Trainers: David and B Hayes and T Dabernig, jockey: Mark Zahra

“Yeah look he gave it his all, had a nice run but just couldn’t stay two miles,” Zahra said.

11. YUCATAN — Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, jockey: James McDonald

“He worked into a nice spot out of the gate and travelled really nice. I just felt he didn’t stay the two miles,” McDonald said.

12. NAKEETA — Trainer: Iain Jardine, jockey: Regan Bayliss

“He gave me a lovely ride throughout. I was still travelling at the 600m to 400m. It was a gallant effort.”

13. ZACADA — Trainers: Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, jockey: Damian Lane

“He run great, the slow speed worked against him, but he worked home really well,” Lane said.

14. CHESTNUT COAT — Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi, jockey: Yuga Kawada

“He had an ideal run through the race and he tried hard.”

It was party time for winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy.

15. VENGEUR MASQUE — Trainer: Michael Moroney, jockey: Patrick Moloney

“The soft track saw him out today on 3200m. I don’t know whether he ran out the trip. He had a lovely run, had every opportunity, but in this sort of going it just found him out.”

16. MAGIC CIRCLE — Trainer: Ian Williams, jockey: Corey Brown

“I was disappointed I had a great run out of the barrier but he never gave me a kick at all,” Brown said.

17. WHO SHOT THEBARMAN — Trainer: Chris Waller, jockey: Ben Melham

“He’s getting on now and he probably didn’t let out the best of his ability,” Melham said.

18. SOUND CHECK — Trainer: Michael Moroney, jockey: Jordan Childs

“Thought he ran well considering he just got caught wide going out of the first corner and had to do a lot of work, but he was pretty honest to the line.”

19. RUNAWAY — Trainers: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, jockey: Stephen Baster

“It was a great thrill winning the Geelong Cup, but the two miles was just too far for him today,” Baster said.

20. ACE HIGH — Trainer: David Payne, jockey: Tye Angland

“Just had to make work from a wide gate, he was comfortable but struggled to run the trip,” Angland said.

21. AUVRAY — Trainer: Richard Freedman, jockey: Tommy Berry

“He just wasn’t good enough. Someone just said to me, ‘Well done, Kerrin.’ So, feels like I did win.”

22. AVILIUS — Trainer: James Cummings, jockey: Glyn Schofield

“We were behind the horse that had the accident which put paid to our chances.”

23. RED CARDINAL — Trainer: Darren Weir, jockey: Damien Oliver

“Just raced a little keen on the slow pace and when it was time to go he just didn’t have enough to finish it off,” Oliver said.

DNF: THE CLIFFSOFMOHER (9) — Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, jockey: Ryan Moore

Cross Counter was too good.

The weather played havoc in the lead-up to the Cup as torrential rain forced delays to races and impacted trains running to Flemington before the sun came out in time for the main event.

The area was drenched with more than 46mm of rain falling on Flemington before 12.30pm (AEDT). According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Flemington’s rainfall on Tuesday was more than it received in September and October combined.

Magic Circle soared into favouritism following the deluge, shortening from $8 to $6 at one point before drifting back out to $7 when the clouds cleared, replaced as the punters’ preferred option by Yucatan, who shortened to $6.

But neither horse finished inside the top 10 as Cross Counter proved too strong.