Melbourne Cup 2021: Why this year’s race looked different

Why this year’s Melbourne Cup looked a little different

Words: Francesca Cumani Producer: Louise Starkey

It’s the race that stops the nation, the race that makes the heart pump faster and the race that makes heroes and heroines of its victors. Since its inception in 1861, the Melbourne Cup has been Australia’s great race.

Six of the past 10 Cups have gone abroad and millions of dollars of prize money with them.

But this year’s event looked a little different, with transportation of competing racehorses difficult due to Covid-19. Only two horses hailing from international stables competed at the nation-stopping event in 2021 — down from half the 24-horse field.

More locally-trained horses were able to gain a start because of this, which is likely to give Australians the fairytale rags to riches narrative the country has long associated with the great race.

Twilight Payment, Incentivise, Spanish Mission and Verry Elleegant — all weighted at 57kg-58kg — were all top fancies to win the race.

Even taking age allowances and sex into account, there were four good horses taking on 20 rather less good ones. Reading into the betting, it shaped more as a two-horse race between Spanish Mission and Incentivise.

While Spanish Mission was guaranteed to see out the 3200m strongly, questions rose around whether he would get a strong pace to bring his stamina to the fore.

Peter Moody’s star galloper Incentivise has made a meteoric rise through the ranks, but it was the first time he met a quality northern hemisphere stayer.

2021 Melbourne Cup final finishing order:

1st — Verry Elleegant 1st — Verry Elleegant 3rd — Spanish Mission 3rd — Spanish Mission 4th — Floating Artist 4th — Floating Artist 2nd — Incentivise 2nd — Incentivise 5th — The Chosen One 5th — The Chosen One