As the first woman to ride a Melbourne Cup winner, and on a 100-1 outsider Prince Of Penzance to boot, Michelle Payne was the feel-good story at Flemington in the early hours of yesterday.
But there was no doubt the hard-luck story was Irish runner-up Max Dynamite.
Long after he has served a one-month "careless riding" ban he picked up on the Willie Mullins-trained runner, Frankie Dettori is likely to rue Australia's greatest prize as one that got away at the end of a hugely successful year.
Despite racing almost too well throughout Max Dynamite turned into the straight going like a winner but got stuck behind a wall of horses, hardly a novel situation in Dettori’s luminous career, especially on the back of a controversial recent Racing Post Trophy ride on Foundation.
At Doncaster racing’s most famous jockey chose to sit on Foundation and hope for a gap which ultimately never occurred.
At Flemington he veered dramatically right, interfering with a number of opponents, when a little more patience appeared like it would have been rewarded. On such split-second decisions are races won and lost.
A month ago Dettori was praised for an inspired Arc-winning ride on Golden Horn, proving yet again his credentials as a big-race pilot. But such credentials are often built on not getting it wrong as much as getting it spectacularly right, and the Italian is entitled to ponder on the “what ifs” of his 12th Melbourne Cup ride.
Split
“It was a bit unfortunate that I couldn’t get the split when I wanted, but that’s racing,” said Dettori who also picked up a $20,000 fine for his manoeuvre.
“It’s a great story [Payne] and we had a terrific run,” said Mullins. “Probably not the luckiest, but it’s a horse race and we’re very happy when everything is concerned. This lad can come back again.”
In contrast Payne enjoyed a charmed run when it counted. From stall one, next to Max Dynamite, the 30-year-old rider tracked Dettori on the rail to about half a mile from home when switching outside him and securing the daylight her rival craved.
By the time Max Dynamite got out, Prince Of Penzance had flown, taking his jockey into the record books. Afterwards Payne eloquently argued the case for female jockeys, especially praising trainer Darren Weir for persevering with her.
“It’s such a chauvinistic sport. I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off,” she said before inviting any chauvinists to “get stuffed,” adding: “Women can do anything and we can beat the world.”
Prince Of Penzance certainly beat an international field as behind the third Criterion came the Ascot Gold Cup hero Trip To Paris and then his fellow British hope Big Orange. The latter’s jockey, Jamie Spencer, was also in trouble, picking up a 14-meeting ban.
Aidan O’Brien’s pair, Bondi Beach and Kingfisher, failed to figure, finishing 16th and 19th respectively.
The Japanese-trained favourite Fame Game did not appear suited by a moderate pace and only managed 13th.
There was post-race concern over Red Cadeaux, a triple Cup-runner up, who was pulled up and dismounted close to the line. He was later found to have suffered a fetlock fracture and although the injury is not believed to be life-threatening, his racing career is over.
