An American's Take On The Cup

American racing journalist Dick Powell attended this year's Melbourne Cup. Here's his account, reprinted from Bloodstock Journal on Brisnet of 8 November.

By Dick Powell

In 148 years of running there has never been a dead heat for win in the Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1). On Tuesday, we almost had one but enough history was made to more than make up for it.

On a sunny, cool, windswept day, Bart Cummings won his record 12th Melbourne Cup and 250th Group 1 stakes when longshot VIEWED (Scenic [Ire]) held on by a desperate nose under a fantastic ride by 21-year-old Blake Shinn. Denied glory was European invader BAUER (Halling) who had every shot to go by in the final yards, looked like he did when his rider Corey Brown was ahead of Shinn at the wire, and then saw the result of the photo with Viewed holding on by what should be termed "anything closer would be a dead heat."

After the race, Brown was inconsolable. It's one thing to run second -- it's another to think that you have won and then find that you didn't. For trainer Luca Cumani, it was the second year in a row that one of his charges suffered a heartbreaking defeat. Last year, PURPLE MOON (Galileo [Ire]) had a clear lead in the stretch before being run down by EFFICIENT (Zabeel) in the final yards. This year, Cumani's Bauer was making up ground with every stride before falling a nose short. It was a cruel day for many but not for the man they call the "Cups King."

It's good to be the King and Cummings is all of that. Despite the presence of eight European invaders the Cup stayed in Australia even though many Melbourne newspapers were predicting that the home team might not ever win again.

Two years ago, Aidan O'Brien brought champion stayer YEATS (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) to the Melbourne Cup and he failed miserably. Last year, O'Brien brought SCORPION (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]), who was scratched because of a career-ending injury, and MAHLER (Galileo [Ire]), who ran a good third while disputing the pace. The Melbourne Cup is a two-mile handicap and a great horse will have to not only carry high weight but concede to very capable distance specialists. It takes the right kind of horse to win the Melbourne Cup and O'Brien thought he had him with SEPTIMUS (Sadler's Wells) who won the Irish St. Leger (Ire-G1) by 13 lengths in his last start.

The Melbourne Cup is usually run with a strong pace out of the gate and down the home straightaway the first time. When the horses settle into position as they go around the first turn, the pace usually slows to a crawl and it's then a matter of biding time until the last three furlongs. The wide, sweeping nature of the second turn enables the horses running behind to get clear sailing and it's a mad scramble to the wire. O'Brien did not feel that this kind of pace scenario would suit Septimus and he brought along HONOLULU (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) and ALESSANDRO VOLTA (Montjeu [Ire]) to insure that the pace would be strong and even throughout.

All week O'Brien made no secret of what his tactics would be and when the gate opened and the field of 22 was sent on its way, everything went according to plan. However, all week O'Brien publicly worried about the condition of the turf and made it clear that his runners would not like it too firm as Flemington Racecourse had been. Southern Australia has been in a long-term drought and the turf courses have been very firm. Even with overnight watering, the course would start out with some give and then firm up as the sun and wind dried it out.

On Tuesday, the course started out rated as "Dead Four" which for comparison purposes would be between good to firm in America. During the day it was then changed to a much firmer "Good Three." Co-owners Derrick Smith and Tom Magnier made no secret of the fact that if the course were not watered enough and it played like it did on Saturday they would scratch Septimus. When the course rating was changed they had the opportunity to scratch any or all of their three entrants but they, along with O'Brien, decided to give it a shot.

As the field settled itself out and they went around the first turn, Johnny Murtagh had Septimus prominently placed and Wayne Lordan took over the lead aboard Alessandro Volta with Honolulu right off their flank. At the point of the race where the Melbourne Cup usually slows to a crawl, the O'Brien-trained trio separated themselves from the rest of the field and covered the first 1,600 meters (just under a mile) in 1:40.8.

At this point it looked like the O'Brien tactics were working like a charm but they continued on a relentless pace with no letup. They were going to take the late kick out of the closers by forcing them to use too much energy to keep up. Unfortunately, the rest of the field pretty much ignored them and ran the way they were most comfortable.

With more than a half-mile to go, the two pacemakers not only tired but dropped back suddenly leaving Septimus completely exposed. The field was catching up and at the top of the stretch they began to swoop by with Septimus offering little resistance as his stride shortened noticeably.

The first to strike was Viewed and for a while it looked like Shinn had attacked too soon. But what made Shinn's move so successful was that he did not hesitate for a moment. He didn't want the lead more than a quarter-mile from the wire but when the front runners stopped he seized the moment and the Cup itself. Viewed, one of two entrants trained by Cummings, opened a clear lead with a furlong to go and the only real threat was coming from Bauer.

Unlike O'Brien, Cumani has prepped his Melbourne Cup starters with a race in Australia. This year, he ran Mad Rush (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Caulfield Cup (Aus-G1) where he was a tough-trip fourth and Bauer in the Geelong Cup (Aus-G3) which he won. O'Brien has chosen to ship in later, go through quarantine and train them for the race off a layoff.

In America, we define a layoff of at least a month but many of Tuesday's starters not only raced in the Caulfield Cup on October 18 but some competed in the Cox Plate (Aus-G1) on October 25 and/or the Mackinnon Stakes (Aus-G1) which was run on Saturday. Some also ran on Saturday in the Saab Quality S. (Aus-G3) with only a three-day rest before a two-mile handicap.

Mad Rush was the more fancied of the Cumani pair but it was Bauer that was making the mad rush to the finish. It fell a nose short and Bart Cummings had a dozen Melbourne Cups in his possession. Immediately after the race, there was talk of a baker's dozen for Bart since Viewed is only five years old and he has MOATIZE (Danehill Dancer), who won the Saab Quality and finished sixth in the Melbourne Cup, and DANDAAD (Istidaad) who won the Long Black Handicap at 2,800 meters earlier on the card.

For Shinn it was vindication and reward for an aggressive move that looked premature but turned out to be prescient. Had he been caught, he would have had to live with being known as the rider that blew Bart's 12th Melbourne Cup by moving too soon. Instead, he won the photo and gets Melbourne Cup win number one out of the way.

As exciting as Melbourne Cup 148 was, the fireworks were just beginning. The stewards called in the riders from the O'Brien team after the race and questioned their tactics. Considering that Septimus finished 18th, Alessandro Volta finished 20th and Honolulu finished 21st, this seemed to be unnecessary but Australia does have a rule that each horse has to be ridden in a way that ensures the best possible place in the field. Obviously, a rabbit is in the race to ensure the best possible place of his stablemate but O'Brien had said all along that this was how these three horses run.

Both Septimus and Honolulu pulled up lame after the race and O'Brien now was second-guessing not only his strategy but even running them in the first place. He said the course was like concrete after being promised that it would be watered sufficiently. But his day was not over.

Ninety minutes after the race was over, O'Brien was summoned back to the track to answer the stewards' questions about riding tactics that the riders had already given them. O'Brien was rightfully upset that he and his riders' integrity were being challenged. The fact that all three went out, set the pace, and tired badly had O'Brien, tongue planted not-so-firmly in cheek, ask the stewards "Do you think we were running our horses for Bart Cummings?" Even chief steward Terry Bailey had to respond, "I wouldn't have thought so."

I can understand the stewards doing their job and enforcing the rules of Australian racing. The betting public needs to be protected and each horse should only be entered and ridden with the best possible placing in mind.

But what about all the horses in the race that showed virtually no recent form and suddenly blossomed when history and big money is on the line? Do the stewards go back and question why Viewed ran dead last in Saturday's Mackinnon? Do they call in Viewed's rider that day, Steve Arnold, and question him about what instructions were given to him with the Melbourne Cup only three days away? What about all the trainers that avoid winning the prep races so as not to pick up a weight penalty? How is the betting public's interest protected when horses are entered in races and there appears to be a lack of effort because bigger races are on the horizon?

Australia has this rule and it's a good one but it is only a good one if it is enforced unilaterally. It was a bad day for O'Brien and it could not have been a happy plane ride back to Ireland for the team. Besides the stewards' inquisition, the Australian media has been brutal on him

One other thing that Cumani and others do is use Australian jockeys in the Melbourne Cup. Cumani had Damien Oliver, who has won two Cups, aboard Mad Rush and Brown aboard Bauer. Dermot Weld, who has won two Melbourne Cups, one with Ireland's Mick Kinane and the other with Oliver, used Glen Boss, winner of three Cups aboard the immortal Makybe Diva, on PROFOUND BEAUTY (Danehill). O'Brien brought his own riders, decided against a prep race and went home with an ignominious ending to a season that at one point looked like he was going to set a record for Group 1 stakes wins.

Beneath O'Brien's placid exterior is a burning passion for success. I have to assume that he and Team Coolmore will regroup and plan another raid down under next year with a vengeance. But, they will have to show some flexibility in selection of horses and tactics. Next year's Cup will be extremely difficult for anyone to win; even Bart Cummings. The Japanese, who ran first and second in 2006, should be over their Equine Influenza issues by then and two miles on firm ground is right up their alley. Cumani will be a force again and Profound Beauty ran a gigantic race to be fifth for Weld. Godolphin had horrible luck when ALL THE GOOD (Diesis [GB]), winner of the Caulfield Cup when Viewed ran 10th, came up injured the week of the race and they will be back next year as well.

There are many things to like about Australian racing. In the track program, every imaginable equipment change is listed. In a section called "Today's Gear Information," details on blinkers, bandages, glue on shoes, bar shoes, cross over nosebands, lugging bit, tongue tie and winkers are listed at the time of entry.

On Saturday's card that was highlighted by the Victoria Derby (Aus-G1), an announcement was made two races in advance that the probable heavy favorite, WHOBEGOTYOU (Street Cry [Ire]), had suffered an injury in shipping to Flemington and had been examined by the attending vets for contusions on one of his forelegs. He passed inspection but no piece of information about the horses is too small to be communicated to the bettors.

Flemington Racecourse is a big, expansive track that handles the six-figure crowds quite well. Saturday's Derby card saw 117,700 attend and while there were long lines to bet it was comfortable. I purchased my seat online like anyone else and due to the luck of going online the day that they went on sale it was right on the finish line in the Hill Stand. I can't imagine having that opportunity in any major American race.

The train system in Flemington is fantastic. They have constant service for their four major race days of the Spring Racing Carnival and most take advantage of it. I walked from my hotel to the Flinders Street Station on the two days of racing that I attended, got aboard with thousands of other racegoers and was at the track in twenty minutes. The train arrived behind the track as close as Union Avenue is to the Saratoga grandstand. Leaving the track was even easier.

Because of the long lines to bet I made most of my plays through the many licensed bookmakers at the track. If you want to make exotic bets you have to get on line and bet with the tote but if you bet win and place -- as most people do -- the bookmakers are a convenient option.

Two factors with betting with bookmakers are worth noting. First, most of the money comes in early. If a big bettor likes a line that is being offered they grab it and do not wait until the last second like tote betting. When I arrived on Tuesday, Septimus was offered at 6-1 odds. Even with the firm ground, I thought that was a very fair price and took it. Second, by post time, he had drifted up to 7-1 meaning that not only could I have gotten better odds had I waited but the money was going elsewhere and there was little confidence in his chances. The favorite wound up being Mad Rush at 9-2 but the horse that dropped the most was Profound Beauty who was quoted at 7.5 to 1 near post time.

We all complain in America about late odds changes but the reality is that many horse's odds go up at the last second as go down. Fixed odds wagering is great and if given the chance I would always use it but there is a downside to it when you are locked into a price that is going the wrong way.

Melbourne is a long way from home and the Albany/Baltimore/Nashville/Los Angeles/Auckland/Melbourne journey is grueling to say the least. But if finances permit it, I'll be back. It was that good.

Steve adds:
NB: regarding on-line booking, I have booked seats on-line for Del Mar long before leaving Australia for the southern Californian meeting (Clubhouse, pictured above)and, depending on what you wanted to pay, the options were excellent. A few years ago, for US$8 a day, I had entry and a reserved seat in the grandstand opposite the winning post for the whole fortnight I was there. The first day I arrived I fronted up at the Will Call window and the tickets were there as booked, waiting for me. No one ever mistakenly sat in my seat, the place was as clean as a whistle, there were no drunken louts abusing me as I left the track and no one vomiting on the train station platform (because there isn't one). One of the most pleasant parts of the experience was to go to the organised trackwork sessions in the morning (around 7.30 a.m.), breakfasting al fresco in the grandstand while noted former jockeys and personalities wander around with a remote microphone giving all the details of the workouts happening in front of you. The weather always seemed good and the prices very reasonable. They are getting out of hand for the average family in Australia. After paying entry and racebooks for a couple of adults on some of these big days, how much do people have left to bet with? Every time you spend a dollar at the windows you are contributing something to help pay for putting on the show. Turnover is the name of the game in racing, that's why gate prices should be cheaper than other forms of entertainment or sport.