TWO GOOD! Zahra wins back-to-back Melbourne Cups on Without a Fight as three horses pull up lame
Without a Fight completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Tuesday as star jockey Mark Zahra went back-to-back in the big one after…
The 2012 Melbourne Cup threw in a number of surprising finishes – take a look at who finished unexpectedly well, and unexpectedly badly as we review the big winners and losers.
Review the full results, including odds and every runner’s placing here
Winner: Green Moon
Green Moon ran out of his skin to win the Cup today – he was given a perfect run by jockey Brett Prebble and surprised even the owners by storming home over the top.
He had a bad race in the Cox Plate – jostled out of position and didn’t run on at all. This put his Melbourne Cup in danger, but he quickly brightened up to take his place and he raced into history.
Loser: Dunaden
Poor Dunaden failed to run on from the back. He travelled well, sitting around third last but made no ground on the leaders in the Flemington straight. This looked to be how the track played all day, so a win from that far back, under 59kgs, would have surprised especially because the leaders didn’t go very fast in the early part of the race.
Winner: Gai Waterhouse and Fiorente
The last-minute Gai Waterhouse purchase defied the experts, and the lack of rain, to run on strongly in second. He was given a good chance if the rain came, but on a firm track many stayed away. He proved his form – in braining Red Cadeaux (who finished the 2012 Melbourne Cup in eighth) in Newmarket back in August.
Gai’s other horse, Glencadem Gold, finished sixth, picking up a handy $125,000 for her troubles.
Winner: International Raiders
Eight of the first 14 horses home in the Melbourne Cup traveled from overseas. This was described as the strongest Cup ever and good results from the Europeans is only going to encourage more raiders in the years to come.
Loser: Australian breeding
The winner Green Moon was purchased from overseas and is another example of why Australian owners should look abroad for future Melbourne Cup horses. Bar ninth-placed Precedence, the gallopers bred in Australia and New Zealand finished in the back-half of the field – with Ethiopia last – although it appears he has broken down.
Winner: Bookmakers
Punters did their dash on the Cup, with the winner not given a chance by most experts, and the horses in second and third also judged as outsiders. The bookies would have taken Australian punters for for a fortune.
If you were one of those who managed to back the winner, or grab a quinella, trifecta, or even the first four – which paid close to $1m, you’ll be celebrating for a week.
Winners: Mug Punters/Losers: Students of the form
Mug punters did well in this cup – it wasn’t an edition for the form studiers, but for those who choose lucky numbers, colours and names. Back to the drawing board for the form experts – although Mount Athos ran well in fifth for those who’d followed him as an international