Ladbrokes Melbourne Cup (Group 1)

IT was an all New Zealand affair in Tuesday’s A$7.75 million Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Australia’s most successful trainer of the 21st century, Chris Waller, and fellow Kiwi James McDonald, Sydney’s current champion jockey, claimed their maiden triumphs in the ‘race that stops a nation’ via the breathtaking deeds of the New Zealand-bred Verry Elleegant.

The now 10-time Group 1 winner crushed Incentivise, the shortest-priced favourite in 90 years, posting a four-length win. The Peter Moody-trained Shamus Award gelding on a nine-start winning streak held on for second by a half-length as Andrew Balding’s Noble Mission horse Spanish Mission was third, a head in front of the British-bred Floating Artist, by Nathaniel, the best of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s four starters.

It was a further six-length gap to The Chosen One in fifth as the lack of top-end class in this year’s field was illustrated by ever widening margins, with the final 12 over the line between 21 and 50 lengths from the winner.

Astute judges see no limit to the ability of James McDonald and Tuesday’s result reaffirms that line. From gate 18, from where no winner had previously jumped, he could have slotted onto the back of Incentivise in barrier 15 and stalked the favourite.

Find a slot

Instead, he crossed behind seven horses to find a slot one off the fence as Incentivise remained seven-wide before pushing on three-wide out of the straight to take up a position outside of the leader Persan.

The slack mid-race pace of the Caulfield Cup didn’t materialise as McDonald let Verry Elleegant ease forward three-wide along the back to find himself within striking distance nearing the final bend.

Popped out five-wide as Incentivise took up the running, it was clear McDonald had a handful of horse at his disposal.

“Not a word of a lie, thoughts went through my mind at the 500 when I’ve seen Incentivise getting shoved along but I knew he would fight,” reflected McDonald on when he thought he could win.

“There wasn’t a horse that was going to come from behind me, it was just a matter of catching him.”

It was a very emotional win for the jockey who was disqualified for 18 months by Racing NSW stewards in 2016, a decision that forced Godolphin to cut ties with the champion rider.

He was found guilty to having a $1,000 bet on Astern at Randwick on December 2015.

Charged away

Verry Elleegant swept to the lead at the 300-metre mark and charged away with the win stopping the clock at 3m17.43secs, a mere 1.13 seconds from Kingston Rule’s 1990 race record.

Incentivise was sent off the shortest-priced favourite since Phar Lap in 1930 and his rider Brett Prebble said: “Courageous effort. His first time to this trip and it took a champion to beat him.”

Twilight Payment was a touch slow to break and jockey Jye McNeil said: “He wasn’t able to get into his usual role and at the halfway point he really struggled.”

‘She was a caged Tiger’ - Waller

TRAINER Chris Waller elected to stay in Sydney for the Melbourne Cup watching the race at home with his wife and children as his Melbourne representative Jo Taylor took the reins at Flemington.

The following day, Waller spoke to the media, reflecting on how he was reluctant to run in the Cup, “but I couldn’t find a reason not to, it’s as simple as that.”

How Damien Lane was originally booked for the ride but the stable couldn’t guarantee she would start and the doubt created by the impost of 57 kilograms.

“She was a caged tiger when we first got her and through maturity, nothing else she’s just developed into this beautiful horse that’s putting that free spirit into her racing.

“Watching it with my family is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life and I’ve not one single regret. You look after them and they really look after you,” continued Waller as the tears welled.

“They’re an amazing animal to work with and I’m very lucky to be in the position I am. It’s just one of those lightning does strike twice experiences. Yes, she was something different Winx, and now a Melbourne Cup, it’s pretty special.”

Tuesday’s Cup win was Waller’s 129th Group 1, accumulated just 13 and a half years after his first.