Who won the 2019 Melbourne Cup? Previous winner going for rare double

The 2019 Melbourne Cup winner has largely been written off in 2020 but last year’s lesson is that anything can happen in the race that stops the nation.

Despite the 2020 Melbourne Cup field being seen as one of the best in recent memory with some big name overseas horses chasing the $8 million prize, 2019 has some lessons for the Aussies in the field.

Danny O’Brien trained Vow and Declare is chasing a second straight win to become the first horse since Makybe Diva to go back to back, but even O’Brien isn’t necessarily backing his own horse.

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Of the four he has in the race, Russian Camelot is at $12, Miami Bound at $34 and King of Leogrance at $51, while Vow and Declare has floated out to $61 after a horror run of results.

O’Brien admitted to RSN 927AM that he was “merely hoping” with Vow and Declare, while he believes Russian Camelot is a big chance after a third place in the Cox Plate.

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Last year Vow and Declare was the fourth favourite behind Finche, Mer De Glace and Constantinople but held on in a dramatic finish to the race that stops the nation.

It was trainer Danny O‘Brien and jockey Craig Williams’ firstMelbourne Cup victories as the then four-year-old gelding refused to be headed down the Flemington straight, holding on for a narrow victory.

Could hardly have been closer.

Stewards found jockey Frankie Dettori guilty of blocking stablemate Il Paradiso in the run to the line in the Melbourne Cup, dumping the second place-finisher back to fourth, promoting Prince of Arran to second and Il Paradiso to third.

The stewards protest was upheld despite a bizarre twist at the hearing held after Vow And Declare‘s famous win.

Both Dettori and Il Paradiso‘s jockey Wayne Lordan refused to give evidence that would result in Master of Reality being penalised.

But that didn‘t save Dettori and after reviewing race footage, stewards needed little time to rule he had infringed on Il Paradiso.

The 2019 Melbourne Cup marked the 50th anniversary of Rain Lover‘s win in the 1969 Cup, a controversial victory as the Bart Cummings favourite Big Philou was scratched only 39 minutes before the race as a result of alleged doping.

The win was the second consecutive victory for Rain Lover after he had won by eight lengths in 1968.

Since then, Think Big won on consecutive years in 1974 and 1975, while Makybe Diva famously won three Cups in a row between 2003 and 2005.

Vow and Declare’s win was the first time since 2015’s Prince of Penzance claimed the victory that a local horse had taken out the result.

2019 MELBOURNE CUP RESULTS

1st: Vow And Declare (23)

Jockey: Craig Williams, Trainer: Danny O’Brien

Williams: “I can’t do this without him (Vow And Declare). Look at him, he knows he won and again, I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity.”

Vow And Declare for the win.

2nd: PRINCE OF ARRAN (12) — Jockey: Michael Walker, Trainer: Charlie Fellowes

Walker: “Charlie and the team have done a great job. I love the horse and I just wanted to win it, you know. I feel like I’ve let him down.”

3rd: IL PARADISO (20) — Jockey: Wayne Lordan, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Lordan: “Would’ve done with jumping a bit quicker. Didn’t get an ideal position but ran well.”

4th: MASTER OF REALITY (3) — Jockey: Frankie Dettori, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien

Dettori: “I want to cry.”

5th: SURPRISE BABY (18) — Jockey: Jordan Childs, Trainer: Paul Preusker

Childs: “He ran super. Just had nothing taking me into the race at the 800 (metre mark) but he’ll be back bigger and better next year.”

6th: MER DE GLACE (2) — Jockey: Damian Lane, Trainer: Hisashi Shimizu

7th: FINCHE (11) — Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy, Trainer: Chris Waller

McEvoy: “He ran great. The pace wasn’t that strong. Would’ve like them to go a bit quicker. But we presented at the top of the lane and thought he was a real chance there at the 300m. He then just levelled out the last little bit. A brave run.”

8th: CROSS COUNTER (2) — Jockey: William Buick, Trainer: Hisashi Shimizu

9th: STEEL PRINCE (21) — Jockey: Brett Prebble, Trainer: Anthony Freedman

10th: MAGIC WAND (15) — Jockey: Ryan Moore, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

11th: TWILIGHT PAYMENT (10) — Jockey: Hugh Bowman, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien

12th: SOUND (17) — Jockey: James Winks, Trainer: Michael Moroney

13th: CONSTANTINOPLE (19) — Jockey: Joao Moreira, Trainers: David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig

14th: MIRAGE DANCER (4) — Jockey: Ben Melham, Trainers: Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young

15th: HUNTING HORN (6) — Jockey: Seamie Heffernan, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

16th: RAYMOND TUSK (13) — Jockey: Jamie Spencer, Trainer: Richard Hannon

17th: THE CHOSEN ONE (22) — Jockey: Tim Clark, Trainers: Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman

18th: LATROBE (7) — Jockey: James McDonald, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien

19th: SOUTHERN FRANCE (5) — Jockey: Mark Zahra, Trainers: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace

20th: YOUNGSTAR (24) — Jockey: Tommy Berry, Trainer: Chris Waller

21st: NEUFBOSC (16) — Jockey: Luke Nolen, Trainers: David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig

22nd: DOWNDRAFT (14) — Jockey: John Allen, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien

23rd: MUSTAJEER (8) — Jockey: Damien Oliver, Trainer: Kris Lees

24th: ROSTROPOVICH (9) — Jockey: Dwayne Dunn, Trainers: David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig

— with Punters.com