Melbourne Cup 2020: Jye McNeil leads from go to whoa, what happened! The Melbourne Cup 2020: Jye McNeil leads from go to whoa, what happened!

You barrack for the yarn. None of them get up, but it’s still a tale worth telling.

From Lord’s to Flemington, you barrack for the yarn. Always. There’s normally only one preference but when you sat down on Tuesday afternoon to encourage the greatest story that could leap from the Melbourne Cup onto this page of the newspaper … you could have thrown a blanket over all the tales deserving to be told.

Jamie Kah winning on Prince of Arran with Michelle Payne jumping for joy out at her Miner’s Rest farm. Top yarn, worth a fortune in the $7.5 million race. Kah-ching! Hugh Bowman winning on Anthony Van Dyck for his first Cup victory while his parents jump for joy at their Dunedoo farm. Top yarn.

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Jockeys Glen Boss, Kerrin McEvoy or Damien Oliver winning a record-equalling fourth Cup. Top yarns. Surprise Baby getting it done for the awesome Horsham trainer Paul Preusker. “Everyone needs a good story in tough times,” Preusker said. Top yarn.

Craig Williams going back-to-back like Richmond. Chris Waller getting off the mark in just about the only race he hasn’t won. James Cummings joining his grandfather Bart as a Cup champion. The best yarns are these sorts of yarns, the yarns that write themselves. At 3pm it could have been any of these. Or none of them. Not long after 3pm, it was the latter – but still a ripper. A humble and popular young hoop called Jye McNeil rode his first Cup on Twilight Payment … and won it. Led from go to whoa, what happened! Anthony Van Dyck broke down, a horrible scene.

Jye McNeil after his surprise victory aboard Twilight Payment in the Melbourne Cup Picture: Getty Images

Pray no animals were killed in the making of this program. Sadly, tragically, absolutely heartbreakingly, the prayer went unanswered

Here’s hoping 100,000-strong crowds are allowed back next year so we don’t have to sit through another session of Channel 10 coverage. It nearly stopped my interest in the unstoppable race. Bizarre footage of blokes singing a boring song in front of the Sydney Opera House. A cross to ex-All Black Mils Muliaina and the all-important question of, “Who are you wearing today?” Not sure what Dave Hughes had to do with anything. You’d prefer the panels of racing experts to be panels of nothing but racing experts.

Danny O’Brien’s wife was asked during a cringe-worthy plug for a Cup sponsor, “What does Lexus mean to you?” Interviewers talking over each other when McEvoy’s father, Phil, was on camera from the Streaky Bay pub in South Australia. The owner of the Exchange Hotel at Horsham being asked, “Everyone hit the turps pretty early, did they?”

When Miguel Maestre and Barry du Bois were given airtime, cross-promotion another program on Ten, I was tempted to switch off and miss the Cup altogether. At least jockey-sized Kylie Minogue talked some sense on the topic of “timely tipples.”

The pick of the yard in the advertisement-laden broadcast was Peter Moody’s picks of the yard. Apart from that, consider others – namely, the superb coverage from racing.com. Or get to the track next year.

Gai Waterhouse accused Victorian premier Daniel Andrews of “cutting the country off at the knees” by banning the normally legless Cup crowds. Without people in it, the large white main grandstand looked like the Ruby Princess. Pre-race entertainment from the Victoria Racing Club was gallant. It just made you realise half the attraction of Cup day is the mad wild people in full voice and fancy dress. Distinguishing themselves. Disgracing themselves. All of it.

Makybe Diva made a guest appearance and looked around as if to say, jeez, there used to be more atmosphere than this. Only a Sheffield Shield cricketer knows the feeling. The jockey introductions were bizarre. To whom were they being introduced? Each other? You couldn’t tell which jockeys sang the national anthem and which did not. They were all wearing masks. State of Origin players on Wednesday night won’t have so much protection. Williams had a hand across his heart, the opposite to a protest about the lyrics. Payne gave the last moments of the coverage what she gave the 2015 Cup. Just the right touch.

McNeil cried after the finishing line. He could barely speak. He pumped a fist and slapped Twilight Payment on the shoulder. They looked certain to be mowed down. When’s the last time the frontrunner held on? Might and Power.

Twilight Payment ridden holds to win the Melbourne Cup Picture: Getty Images

Yet again the Cup’s yarns had spilleth over. McNeil had his first child, his son Oakley, this year. “Too many emotions,” he said. “It’s a very big moment. I’ve got goose bumps. I’m absolutely stoked I could pull it off. To lead throughout was probably Plan A. There was pressure on me to get it right. I’m hoping Oakley was awake. He could have been asleep. Talking about them really makes me emotional. I couldn’t be more prouder to be a dad. I’ve been dreaming of this from day one. Not a bad effort! If you work hard, you can achieve your lifelong goals.”