The 2014 Melbourne Cup will long be remembered for the great staying performance of the winner, Protectionist, from Germany, and the sad ending of two horses that didn’t return to their stables that evening.

The death of the favourite, Admire Rakti, was unavoidable; he basically died of natural causes within a few minutes on reaching the race day stalls.

His rider, Zac Purton, eased him out of the race at the top of the straight when he felt the horse was in some form of trouble.

The second incident was caused by a ratbag waving a flag as the horses were returning to the mounting yard after the race, the result Araldo, who finished seventh in the Cup, was spooked, lashing out making contact with a fence fracturing a hind leg that was inoperable, the horse had to be put down.

A small consulation for the owners who paid $500,000, with the dream of winning the Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist

Jockey, Ryan Moore, appeared to take the win as just another race, or that is how it appeared, he didn’t get excited or over exuberant or none of the antics we see from some jockeys resembling Cossack riders acting up, he didn’t take his cap off until reaching the scales when handing it to chief steward, Terry Bailey, before he weighed in.

Ryan was singing the praises of the winner, the German bred Protectionist, “he won very easily, like a good horse, they went at a strong pace, there was a lot of speed on early, I was struggling to find a position.”

“So I dropped back on the rail and followed Mutual Regard before he gave in, I was just searching for splits, I had so much horse underneath me.”

“Andreas Wohler is a brilliant trainer, he has a fine record, I am very pleased for him, and its special for me, I have to thank Michelle at home with the kids, I have been a away a lot, but you have to try and win these races to make it worthwhile.” he added.

Andreas Wohler was over the moon, he is no stranger to winning major races around the world, he thanked Ryan for being so patient, he has nerves of steel.

“I selected a great jockey, the horse is a fine stayer, it was the perfect combination, “he said.

The time for the running of the race 3.17.71, it was the fastest time recorded since Media Puzzle took the Cup back to Ireland, he ran 3.16.9.

Andreas Wohler and Ryan Moore with the Trophy

The Derby proved a fitting result for the winner, Preferment, who broke his maiden status, Chris Waller, his first winner in Melbourne, be it a maiden, an outstanding ride from Damian Oliver and don’t leave out the sire, Zabeel.

Whilst Preferment was a maiden and lightly raced, he proved the better stayer, and the winning margin may have been slender, but it was left to the better stayer.

It was Chris Waller’s first classic winner in Melbourne, and a maiden, it was a great training performance by the Sydney based trainer.

Waller praised the colt more so than training feat saying, “he was out three wide with not much cover, he is a big rawish colt, the penny is just beginning to drop,” he added.

It was again Oliver at his best, they come no better than him; he scouted wide on the turn instead of taking the saloon passage that could have closed as soon as it appeared.

Preferment is by Zabeel, the most dominant source of staying power in the southern hemisphere, now in his 28th year the Derby win was his 45th Group 1 success, equalling his own sire ,Sir Tristram.

The favourite, Hampton Court, was entitled to give up on the home turn; he surrendered after doing all the chasing behind the leader, Royal Standard, for most of the way.

Bondeiger turned in a good run; he is a likely type, as for the others they all knocked up failing to stay.

Preferment - Damian Oliver winning the Victoria Derby

Deep Field kept his unbeaten record intact in winning the Group 2, the tab.com.au Stakes, at Flemington.

He is a class act as was seen with his performance down the straight six, he has now won at his only five starts.

The straight six can be a bit daunting, he drew wide at the gate and when the field jumped away he was out in no man’s land, after finding the outside rail as a guide he raced fairly true, but still a bit green, he will benefit from the experience.

Deep Field is a brilliant racehorse, he has now won at Group 2 level and a Group1 looks a mere formality in the Autumn.

His racing career is going to be closely monitored from here on by leading stud farms, as he definitely has sire potential.

He is a full brother to the Caulfield Guineas winner, Shooting To Win by Northern Meteor, after leaving just four crops of racing age he has since passed on.

The loss of Northern Meteor was widely felt throughout the breeding industry; he was riding on the crest of a wave when he died at Widden Stud as a result of colic.

Deep Field could well be the heir apparent to Northern Meteor; he already has one son at stud in Fighting Sun, who is getting great support in his first season at Eliza Park

Deep Field on the outside with Dwayne Dunn up

Punters Burnt
Punters were burnt early on Derby Day when the warm favourite, Azkadellia, turned in a pretty poor performance in the Carbine Club Stakes.

This is the very same horse that Michelle Payne copped a roasting for after being beaten at Caulfield.

The grandstand riders were certainly out in force that day and those that followed their money again at Flemington fared no better.

Too much has obviously been written into winning a four horse race at Wangaratta.

Whilst the filly has some ability she is no world beater at this stage, it may be time to sit back and reassess where her future lies.

Maiden Winners at Flemington

Wonder what Lachlan Mackinnon would have thought about two Maiden horses winning Group races on Derby Day.

Mackinnon was Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club from 1916 to 1935; he was among the purist of the purists, the ultimate traditionalist.

When Phar Lap, a gelding, won the Derby, defeating Carradale, a colt owned by Mackinnon, he was quite upset that a gelding could beat a colt in a classic.

He tried to influence the Committee to have geldings made ineligible to be entered for the classic races, believing they didn’t enhance the breed of the thoroughbred horse.

When Balloon King, a colt, won the Derby the following year, the issue was basically put to rest, but only temporally.

Finally the Chairman had a victory when Johnnie Jason, the next year, two years after Phar Lap won, a rule was enforced that geldings were ineligible to be entered for the Derby and remained so for some years.

A Reason To Celebrate

There was reason to celebrate in the Sweeney household, at Jerilderie, over the Derby Day week-end.

It all commenced when Philip won the second challenge of the Jeep 55 with Sweet Emily at Moonee Valley on Friday night, running the best time to date for the 955 metres dash in the fastest to date of 0.55.35.

Time was going to be the essence of the contract, it was back home to work to work 27 horses in the morning, after those chores was completed it was a bit of brekkie and off to Balranald with wife, Irene, and 18 year old daughter who was having her first ride in a race.

Her father, Philip, entrusted her with the ride on Lachlan Lily in the Spring Cup, which she duly won, to the delight of her proud parents.

While three quarters of the family were in Balranald for the day, Brooke, who is two years older than Sally, slipped down the road a bit to Berrigan where she rode a winning double on La Bella Blue and Jamie’s Star, and just missing out in the Cup on her dad’s horse, Cee Cee ‘N’Dry.  

Millers Guide, the sporting publication that has settled many an argument of who won the Melbourne Cup in what year, plus results of the Brownlow Medal, is just a matter of flicking through the pages for results.

The 139^th edition is back in newsagents with 804 of packed pages, with results of every major horse race run in Australia, plus results of all sports.

A record attendance at a Grand Final in 1970 was 121,696, while Campbell’s Creek, in the Maryborough league, kicked 100 goals 34 to Primrose’s 3 goals.

Editor, Dennis Huxley, and his assistant John O’Donnell, can be proud of a world class publication available at Newsagents for $19.99.

Payne Misses Flemington

Michelle Payne will be sitting in the grandstand over the four days at Flemington after failing an appeal against a 20 meeting suspension, resulting in interference incurred with the running of the Moonee Valley Gold Cup in which she rode the winner, Prince of Penzance.

The interference occurred at the point of where Albonetti fell, ridden by Chad Schofield who was lucky to escape serious injury.

Payne can return to riding on November 12, the meeting is at Bendigo.

Bendigo Cup A Bit Light On

Bendigo Jockey Club committee would have been disappointed with the small acceptances for the $250,000 Bendigo Cup.

More than likely it is just a one off, in the past the Bendigo Cup has always been known as the premier provincial Cup.

Kyneton Cup Next Week

Kyneton Cup is among the highlights of a forth coming busy racing week, in between the Melbourne Cup and the Oaks.

There is a lot of tradition attached to Kyneton, among the best provincial racecourses in Australia, its fore fathers had vision, they selected a prime slice of fertile ground, before the racecourse was designed elm trees were planted.

The plantings took place somewhere around 1860, the thousands that have flocked to Kyneton since have had the benefit of shade on the hottest of days.

Kyneton has been recognised as a training centre, the course has been completely floodlit for the convenience of 30 trainers that work on an average of 80 to 100 horses per day.

Big Break For Apprentice

Talented apprentice rider, Regan Bayliss, will be given the opportunity to continue his meteoric rise through the riding ranks when he contests the final of an invitational race series in Abu Dhabi next week.

Bayliss will ride an Arabian horse in the final of the series on Sunday November 9.

Straight Track Only Concern

Co –trainer, Peter Morgan, can’t wait to saddle up star filly, Eloping, in Saturday’s Group1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes, run down the straight six at Flemington.

In the hottest field of three year olds we have seen for many a long day, you could have half a dozen picks and still miss the winner.

Morgan’s only fear is the long straight, she is sure to run a good race and will look like a winner at some stage, whether she can hold out the males over the final 200 metres is yet to be answered.