Melbourne Cup: Verry Elleegant reminds Incentivise who won Australia Horse of the Year
Verry Elleegant trots to the course like she cannot wait to get it on. If you’re a mare who loves wide open spaces, Flemington is your place. Verry expansive.
To the mounting yard. Michelle Payne is pretty as a princess in an aquamarine dress. Inebriated blokes wolf-whistling her can go and get stuffed. Verry Elleegant is glowing as much as Payne. Bright-eyed. A glowing coat. Her ears are pricked. Verry dangerous.
There’s great racing tradition of the trumpet call. De-do-de-do! They’re about to charge. Verry Elleegant parades herself for her admirers. Those who can see through Incentivise are climbing into her price of $16.50. Verry attractive odds. She trots to the course proper like she cannot wait to get it on. If you’re a mare who loves wide open spaces, Flemington is your place. Verry expansive.
Such a small audience. Ten-thousand compared to the normal 120,000. It feels like one of those MTV concerts where only a few people can attend. The Melbourne Cup Unplugged. Flowers are everywhere in full spring bloom. Verry Elleegant may like to place one behind her ear. Momentarily it feels like an English garden party. A bush track meeting. A picnic gathering. Verry Elleegant looks suspiciously fresh. She’s bright as a button. A bit sassy. Ready to run and gun.
Policemen take photos for giggling young women in front of the Hill Stand. Verry funny. Bart Cummings statue is smiling as the clock ticks towards 3pm. Binoculars are in his right hand. His left hand is in his pocket, rummaging around for the winning ticket – the one paying $16.50. Phar Lap’s statue strains its neck to listen in as Verry Elleegant’s jockey, James McDonald, says he’s confident she’ll finish top five.Verry conservative.
The headline act, of course, is Incentivise. Trainer Peter Moody nervously paces the joint. He gets off to a flyer when Brereton wins the first race of the day. Moody spends plenty of time out the front of the trainers’ enclosure, allowing himself a cigarette or two, his face mask dangling from his left ear until it’s time to go back inside. Verry tense. He says he was worried about Incentivise last week. The favourite didn’t look so good. He says the gelding looks better today, but this isn’t going to end well. Verry surprising.
The only thing missing, apart from the small matter of 110, 000 people, is the building atmosphere to the main event. The energy normally rises like it’s a long day at a music festival. The early acts are enjoyed in increasing increments. The vibe is more muted on Tuesday. The crowd is more polite. Verry well-heeled and Verry well-behaved, apart from those whistling at Payne. A barman reports an uptake in orders for gin and tonics. Less slurred demands for “more VB.” I don’t see one drunk asleep in a flower bed. Not one. Verry shocking.
Folks sit around small tables under umbrellas offering shade from the 30-degree heat. One young couple strolls around with a pram. There’s not another soul within 30m of them. They wander peacefully through like it’s Queen Victoria Gardens. A mother lays out a picnic blanket for her daughter. “Verry unusual,” she says.
Straight after Profiteer wins the sixth race, a waist-high timber trophy stand is placed next to the trumpeter, who is doing a cracking job, taking a Verry theatrical bow after every toot of his horn. The Cup is carried along by two Melbourne nurses – bravo. The Cup! There’s only one, eh? Only the greatest sporting events are known by their shortened name, and this is one of them. Which Cup? No question. The Cup. Verry prestigious.
The romance of the race is real. Ghosts are swirling around of all the horses, trainers, owners and fans who’ve come here since 1861. Different horses behave differently in their stalls. Tralee Rose has to be taken out for a walk. She’s plonked under an umbrella and told to calm down. Grand Boulevarde needs space, being led out for a calming stroll of his own.
Ominously, Verry Elleegant is the calmest of the lot. More relaxed, even, than the gentlemanly Incentivise. She looks ready to put her feet up, have a chat, perhaps sip on some tea and get her nails done. Incentivise, Incentivise, Incentivise – it’s all anyone has talked about. Verry Elleegant looks at us like, um, don’t you remember who I am? The Australian Horse of the Year? Where’s the damn respect? De-do-de-do! Charge! There’s no noise like it in sport.
The thundering hooves of a Cup field. Ten-thousand kilograms of muscle on the charge around Flemington. TV doesn’t do them justice. It sounds like drumbeats on mountain tops. They’re terrifyingly quick in the flesh. Rubbing coats. Crashes always seem imminent. Rarely happen. If one goes down, they’ll all take a tumble. What an exhilarating white-knuckle ride for McDonald. He stays out of trouble. Pounces. Verry masterful. “Can’t believe it,” McDonald says. Nor can Incentivise.
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