The Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is the sixth horse to die after taking part in the Melbourne Cup since 2013 and concern is mountingControversy and recrimination once more featured in the aftermath to the Melbourne Cup, Tuesday’s running of the famous Australian race being marred by the death of last year’s Derby winner, Anthony Van Dyck, while a record fine of A$50,000 (£27,430) was handed out to the jockey Kerrin McEvoy for a breach of the whip rules. The dismal news dominated headlines about the race on local websites and led to suggestions that the Cup was becoming a net negative for the sport in Australia. Related: Talking Horses: We will do better, says owners' chief after strategy flak...
The Italian jockey is now 0-17 in ‘the race that stops a nation’ and came away with a ban for the second time in five yearsFrankie Dettori came heartbreakingly close to a first success in the Melbourne Cup but, instead of lifting the trophy, he ended his day with a dressing-down from the stewards, who demoted his mount from second place to fourth. The veteran jockey delivered a fine ride aboard the 25-1 shot Master Of Reality and they briefly seemed to have pinched the £2m prize. Instead, they were collared in the last two strides by Vow And Declare, and then ruled to have interfered with the fast-finishing Il Paridiso, fourth past the post.“I want to cry,” Dettori muttered,...
Marmelo swung his head to the right and had a right old go at Avilius before finishing second in Australia’s biggest raceOh dear. While the British runners in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup covered themselves in glory by filling the first three places, it has now emerged that in fact one of them had also got himself into a bit of trouble.Marmelo, who finished second after briefly looking the likely winner, caught the belated attention of the stewards as they pored over footage of the race’s opening stages. It became clear that, as soon as he stepped out of the starting stalls, Marmelo swung his head to the right and had a right old go at Avilius, who was unfortunate enough to...
A quarter of a century after the race fell to an Irish raider, Cross Counter has become the first winner to be trained in BritainCongratulations to Charlie Appleby, who has become the first British-based trainer to win the Melbourne Cup, following the success this morning of his Cross Counter. It’s only taken us 25 years longer than Ireland to get the job done but, in fairness, it was accomplished with some style at around 4am our time, as Cross Counter led home Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran for a British 1-2-3, echoing the Irish 1-2-3 in last year’s race. Related: Melbourne Cup won by British horse and British trainer for the first time Related: The CliffsofMoher put down after...
Ten of the 24 runners in Australia’s biggest race are from British and Irish stables and those are the horses leading the bettingNo sooner had Ryan Moore crossed the line on fifth-placed Mendelssohn in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday night than he was on his way to the airport for a flight to Australia to partner The Cliffsofmoher in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup. And he was not the only one, as British and Irish stables are responsible for no fewer than 10 of the 24 runners in Australia’s biggest race, which is due off at 4.00am GMT.The overseas challenge also includes the first five names in the betting, and some – perhaps many – Australian fans have already given up...