Dunaden continues Cup's French revolution
Daniel Franklin, ABC November 1, 2011, 6:01 pm
Dunaden has won the Melbourne Cup (3,200m) in perhaps the closest finish in the race's history.
The French-trained Dunaden ($8.50) and English galloper Red Cadeaux ($31) settled in for a bitter war of attrition in the final 100 metres and only the bob of the heads gave Dunaden a margin on the line.
Lucas Cranach ($13) finished just over a length away in third.
The 100,000 people at Flemington and millions around the world held their collective breath for what seemed an eternity as the judges pored over the photo finish.
The judge had to magnify the print four more times than normal to find a margin and it was closer than the Viewed-Bauer finish in 2008.
An elated Christophe Lemaire could not contain his joy as he saw his number go into the frame, winning France its second Cup in as many years.
"It's a great moment for me. It's incredible," he said, holding back tears.
"I was a bit anxious. I knew it was very close and I was sad when the pony (rider) along the back straight said that maybe the outside horse won.
"But then I saw it was me."
Lemaire, one of Europe's finest riders, was handed the ride on Dunaden only late yesterday after Craig Williams failed to win a stay of proceedings pending an appeal against a careless riding ban.
A Melbourne Cup win would have made Williams the first jockey to claim the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and the Cup in the same year.
Connections of Dunaden had held the ride open for him pending Monday's decision but also arranged for Lemaire to fly to Melbourne from Tokyo.
Williams says he went to the movies today and did not watch the race live.
"I am very sorry for Craig because he is a friend of mine but it is part of the business," Lemaire said.
"This is life.
"I have to say thank you to the team to give me the opportunity. It's a great, great moment."
Dunaden is trained by Mikel Delzangles, a protege of master French horseman Alain De Royer Dupre who claimed Cup glory last year with Americain.
In an identical path to Americain a year ago, Dunaden scored a dominant win in the Geelong Cup that rocketed him into Melbourne Cup calculations.
"There are no words to describe the feeling," Delzangles said.
"I'm still shaking. It's amazing.
"I thought I was beaten."
The trainer too expressed his sympathy for Williams.
"I feel bad for him and thank him for everything he has done with the horse before today.
"But I had confidence in Christophe."
Americain ran as the $5 favourite this year and settled towards the back of the field before producing a colossal run under 58kg to finish a breath out of third place.
The first seven horses over the line were either trained overseas or imported by Australian stables looking to European staying blood as a path to Cup success.
In Victoria, Dunaden paid $8.20 and $3.10 for the place, while Red Cadeaux returned $14.00 and Lucas Cranach $4.50. The trifecta paid $4,555.20 and the first four was $21,593.20.
For the record, Modun ($31) finished last.
Heartbreak
When there's a winner, there must be a loser and the photo finish result was a bitter pill to swallow for Michael Rodd aboard Red Cadeaux.
"I would have preferred to get beaten a half-length than like that," he said.
"I know I'm on a 50-1 pop but it still hurts.
"We had a beautiful run in the race and he showed a turn of foot I wasn't expecting.
"He tried really hard, but in the end I was weakening and the other horse was coming hard."
Corey Brown was full of praise for Lucas Cranach, who was bought in Germany by clients of the Anthony Freedman stable.
"It wasn't to be and he had every chance," Brown said.
"Now that he's over here he'll be a very nice racehorse."
Americain's jockey Gerald Mosse says a combination of firm ground and the 58kg impost counted against him.
"He never travelled the way he normally does but still did his best," Mosse said.
"He showed great acceleration but tired in the last 100 metres."
The French-trained Dunaden ($8.50) and English galloper Red Cadeaux ($31) settled in for a bitter war of attrition in the final 100 metres and only the bob of the heads gave Dunaden a margin on the line.
Lucas Cranach ($13) finished just over a length away in third.
The 100,000 people at Flemington and millions around the world held their collective breath for what seemed an eternity as the judges pored over the photo finish.
The judge had to magnify the print four more times than normal to find a margin and it was closer than the Viewed-Bauer finish in 2008.
An elated Christophe Lemaire could not contain his joy as he saw his number go into the frame, winning France its second Cup in as many years.
"It's a great moment for me. It's incredible," he said, holding back tears.
"I was a bit anxious. I knew it was very close and I was sad when the pony (rider) along the back straight said that maybe the outside horse won.
"But then I saw it was me."
Lemaire, one of Europe's finest riders, was handed the ride on Dunaden only late yesterday after Craig Williams failed to win a stay of proceedings pending an appeal against a careless riding ban.
A Melbourne Cup win would have made Williams the first jockey to claim the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and the Cup in the same year.
Connections of Dunaden had held the ride open for him pending Monday's decision but also arranged for Lemaire to fly to Melbourne from Tokyo.
Williams says he went to the movies today and did not watch the race live.
"I am very sorry for Craig because he is a friend of mine but it is part of the business," Lemaire said.
"This is life.
"I have to say thank you to the team to give me the opportunity. It's a great, great moment."
Dunaden is trained by Mikel Delzangles, a protege of master French horseman Alain De Royer Dupre who claimed Cup glory last year with Americain.
In an identical path to Americain a year ago, Dunaden scored a dominant win in the Geelong Cup that rocketed him into Melbourne Cup calculations.
"There are no words to describe the feeling," Delzangles said.
"I'm still shaking. It's amazing.
"I thought I was beaten."
The trainer too expressed his sympathy for Williams.
"I feel bad for him and thank him for everything he has done with the horse before today.
"But I had confidence in Christophe."
Americain ran as the $5 favourite this year and settled towards the back of the field before producing a colossal run under 58kg to finish a breath out of third place.
The first seven horses over the line were either trained overseas or imported by Australian stables looking to European staying blood as a path to Cup success.
In Victoria, Dunaden paid $8.20 and $3.10 for the place, while Red Cadeaux returned $14.00 and Lucas Cranach $4.50. The trifecta paid $4,555.20 and the first four was $21,593.20.
For the record, Modun ($31) finished last.
Heartbreak
When there's a winner, there must be a loser and the photo finish result was a bitter pill to swallow for Michael Rodd aboard Red Cadeaux.
"I would have preferred to get beaten a half-length than like that," he said.
"I know I'm on a 50-1 pop but it still hurts.
"We had a beautiful run in the race and he showed a turn of foot I wasn't expecting.
"He tried really hard, but in the end I was weakening and the other horse was coming hard."
Corey Brown was full of praise for Lucas Cranach, who was bought in Germany by clients of the Anthony Freedman stable.
"It wasn't to be and he had every chance," Brown said.
"Now that he's over here he'll be a very nice racehorse."
Americain's jockey Gerald Mosse says a combination of firm ground and the 58kg impost counted against him.
"He never travelled the way he normally does but still did his best," Mosse said.
"He showed great acceleration but tired in the last 100 metres."
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