Six for Williams

OWNER Lloyd Williams first tasted Cup success in 1981 with Just A Dash. His record now stands at six Melbourne Cups, though this was his first quinella in the race he says he became obsessed about at the age of eight.

Sharing the success of Rekindling and Johannes Vermeer with son Nick and their syndicate members, Team Williams had six runners in the race this year with last year’s winner Almandin finishing 12th, US Army Ranger 18th, Bondi Beach 22nd and Gallante last.

”I’ve got a long way to go to catch Bart haven’t I,” quipped Williams. “I need another six to get to Bart. I’m 77 so I will have to live to about 115 if you can find a magic potion for me.” Williams highlighted that Rekindling’s Curragh Cup win was the impetus. “That is when we decided he might be the one to come out here,” said Williams, saving special praise for Joseph. “You can’t put into words what doing this with a 24-year-old means to me and he is going to have a wonderful career, but he will always be a Melbourne Cup-winning trainer.”

The vanquished

WILLIE Mullins, though not on the top step, would have to be delighted that his three runners all finished in the top 10, highlighted by Max Dynamite’s A$450,000 third prize, to sit alongside his second to Prince Of Penzance in 2015. With prize money of $125,000 paid from fifth to 10th, Thomas Hobson (sixth) and Wicklow Brave (10th) got some consolation, their wide draws and the solid early pace preventing those in the outside gates opportunities to slot in mid-field or better.

“Max Dynamite looked like he had a great chance turning for home,” said Mullins. “He was looking for room to get out and when he got out he just didn’t have the speed of the younger horses. But he ran a fantastic race.

Thomas Hobson was slow early and once he got wound up he ran on well in the straight. Wicklow Brave just seemed to get into trouble and didn’t give his pilot an easy time. But to finish 10th and get a cheque was a very good result in the circumstances. What more could you ask for? These guys are probably at the end of their career at this level. But I’ll be back, don’t worry,” added Mullins “If we have the horses and the owners we’ll keep coming back.”

LOCALs

The best of the locals was the Darren Weir-trained Irish-bred Big Duke in fourth, the Ebor Handicap winner Nakeeta finished strongly for Iain Jardine to take fifth, with Tiberian seventh and Marmelo ninth. Red Cardinal was 11th just ahead of last year’s winner Almandin whom Frankie Dettori descried as feeling “... flat, flat, flat”.

Well beaten into 15th was Hugo Palmer’s Wall Of Fire, ahead of US Army Ranger in 18th. The only other locally-trained horse in the top 10 was the Irish-bred Libran in eighth with the breeding of the top 10 made up of five bred in the United Kingdom, three in Ireland and two from France.

From this part of the world the best effort came from the New Zealand-bred Cismontane who won his way into the Cup via Saturday’s Group 3 Lexus Stakes.

Moriera stood down

DRAMA struck in race four on Emirates Melbourne Cup day with Joao Moreira falling from Regal Monarch on the home turn in what looked a nasty spill. After a time both horse and jockey were to their feet, though the injuries sustained by Regal Monarch were too much to save him.

Moreira was subsequently stood down for the day with Willie Mullins having to scramble to find a replacement to ride Thomas Hobson’s 52kg weight in the Cup and 18-year-old Ben Allen got the call up.

It could have been Vermeer

TRAVELLING foreman for Aidan O’Brien, T.J. Comerford, though delighted with Joseph’s success was reflecting on what could have been with Johannes Vermeer. “I thought the horse ran his heart out. I just thought we were a shade unlucky. We were in front for a long time,” said Comerford. “Coming here, I really thought we were going to have a European win this year. They were so good this year, Marmelo, Joseph’s horse, our horse, the Scottish horse (Nakeeta) and WIllie Mullins three. This year we had a really good go at it.”

The day afterwards

“HE seems to have pulled-up well, he’s in good form here this morning,” said Joseph O’Brien on Wednesday a day after Rekindling’s heroics, indicating he would have a spell at owner Lloyd William’s Macedon Lodge. “He’ll have a little break and then I think he might come back to Europe next season for maybe a try at an Ascot Gold Cup or something like that in the summer, he’s an exciting horse for next season.”

Asked if a Melbourne return was likely for Rekindling O’Brien responded; “I’d like to think so, absolutely, although it’ll be tough to try to do it again.”