I wrote in my preview of the Melbourne Cup (3200m, Group 1, handicap) that gone are the days when you could rule a line through half the Melbourne Cup field 30 minutes after the barrier draw is conducted.
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The great depth and strength of the Melbourne Cup right now also means gone are the days when the Cup winner was an average horse.
The Melbourne Cup is the race that stops nation but it is also the race that stops the racing world. And with the sport of racing fascinated by this unique two-mile handicap, Australian racing is the winner for it.
Fiorente, an outstanding galloper, won the 2013 Melbourne Cup. And better still, he’s trained in Australia by an Australian trainer.
But he didn’t start his racing here.
Fiorente’s Melbourne Cup victory is not a win for Australian breeding – he’s an Irish-bred horse.
Instead, it’s a win for the great handicap and what the great handicap has done for Australian racing.
Because whether you were at first sceptical, or even if you liked the idea from the outset; the imported horse, almost always bought by Australian owners to win the Melbourne Cup (after dwindling success with locally-bred horses), has been a positive for Australian racing.
You don’t have to stay up to 2AM in the middle of June or July to watch a good stayer now. They are not just found in England or France.
You can see them in Australia and they – the imported horses that is – have lifted our racing, certainly our favourite race, the Melbourne Cup, to a new level.
Fiorente made a name for himself in England. His crowning glory came with a Group 2 victory over 2400m.
The form looked good because he made a horse called Red Cadeaux look a bit average (we’ll have more on Red Cadeaux in a second).
After that win in July 2012 at the spiritual home of horse racing, Newmarket Racecourse – the Lord’s of this sport – Fiorente was purchased by Gai Waterhouse for the Melbourne Cup.
Gai had become sick of watching the Melbourne Cup without a live chance so she went out, ironically to the country with the worst Melbourne Cup strike rate, England, to find herself a Melbourne Cup winner.
And she didn’t miss by far. Because Fiorente finished second to Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup and it was a fantastic performance in defeat. The margin in defeat wasn’t as big as Fiorente’s finishing spurt.
Gai Waterhouse has done a lot for Australian racing but I’ve got a lot of joy out of watching Fiorente race over the last 12 months. He’s an exciting horse.
In the autumn of this year, in a race marred by controversy (and one Waterhouse would surely love to forget), Fiorente, like a rocket, charged into third place in the All Aged Stakes over 1400m on the final day of the Sydney Carnival.
The following Monday I wrote: “Since 1920, two horses have an All Aged (1400m, Group 1, weight-for-age) placing and Melbourne Cup victory next to their name. They are Peter Pan (first 1935 All Aged, 1932 and 1934 Melbourne Cup) and Nightmarch (second 1930 All Aged, first 1929 Melbourne Cup).
“Off his third-placing in Saturday’s All Aged, Fiorente, the runner up in last-year’s Melbourne Cup, is a really good chance of joining that list in the spring. He was awesome on Saturday – last at the 100m mark, he darted through the ruck to pinch third at the death.”
Well now there are three horses that have an All Aged placing and Melbourne Cup victory on their CV. And I bet that’s a statistic that has been missed in the Melbourne Cup wash-up!
This spring, Fiorente has been fantastic. In a Memsie (1400m, Group 1, weight-for-age) dominated by the wonderful Atlantic Jewel he was good in a luckless sixth. Then at Moonee Valley in the Dato Tan Chin Nam (1600m, Group 1, weight-for-age), Fiorente turned on the style.
Second-last at the 175m mark as the field swept for home, Fiorente charged in the last 50 yards to win in the last stride.
It was such an exciting victory. His finishing spurt had Rosehill Gardens, where I was watching, bouncing!
Then in the Turnbull (2000m, Group 1, set weights and penalties), with jockey Nash Rawiller aboard for the last time (he was to be sacked after this race), Fiorente was ridden very quietly at the back of the field before switching to the outside and flying home for fourth in the straight.
Undoubtedly, in 50 more metres he would’ve won easily.
In the Cox Plate (2040m, Group 1, weight-for-age), with jockey Blake Shinn replacing suspended new booking Damien Oliver, Fiorente put in a fantastic run.
He was wide for the first 600m of the race and was forced to race closer to the lead than ever in order to find a cosy position.
In the final straight, he stuck-on well to run third.
If Fiorente was ever going to run a bad race, it would have come in the Cox Plate. After all, he would’ve had excuses. But this horse is a world-class animal. He has serious ability.
And with a lot of the world watching, many sources indicating as many as 700 million people, Fiorente showed the world what a supremely-talented horse he is when he won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
If my life depended on me picking one jockey to ride a favourite to victory then I’d pick Damien Oliver to do the job in a heartbeat. He invariably performs on the biggest stage.
I’ve been following racing for about as long as Oli’s been at the top of the sport in this country and it’s been a pleasure to watch him go about his business over that time.
Some people were unhappy to see Oliver win the Melbourne Cup only a few months after finishing serving a nine-month suspension for betting on a rival horse, but I think those people need to move on.
Certainly, their anger should not be directed towards Oliver, who could only serve the suspension he was given.
He did his time. And he has returned in vintage form. You cannot fault his ride on Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup – it was a pearler.
From gate five, he took abundant caution to ensure he did not get stuck on the inside fence. And then, having secured a nice spot just behind midfield, he put Fiorente to sleep.
And the Melbourne Cup winner wasn’t woken up until the final 800m of the race.
At the key moment, perhaps 600m out, Oliver shifted Simenon into an exposed four wide position and had Fiorente ready to move when he wanted.
On the point of the bend with Red Cadeaux, Simenon and Mount Athos sharing the lead, Fiorente was about to be unleashed wide on the course.
If Fiorente could sprint for 400m – and he’s always sprinted when asked to do so in Australia – then he’d win the Melbourne Cup.
And of course Fiorente sprinted brilliantly on Tuesday.
That is how you ride the favourite in the Melbourne Cup. That is how you ride the favourite in any staying race.
It was a masterful ride from Oliver. He was assertive but not aggressive. His tactics were cuddling but not cold. He had a plan and the execution was perfect.
And yet Fiorente – still fantastic in victory – was not completely dominant. For that reason I expect to see Fiorente feature prominently at weight-for-age level next year.
He will have a quiet autumn – the All Aged looks the perfect race for him again.
I can see him figuring high-up in the Cox Plate again. But the Melbourne Cup, a race that he will no doubt be targeted at for a third time, may be a bridge too far.
I suspect he’ll be weighted with about 58.5kgs and that means Fiorente is going to have to find a few lengths improvement as a seven-year-old in 2014.
But I sure hope Red Cadeaux is back in 2014 to meet Fiorente again.
This horse is a marvel. He was there when Fiorente launched himself with that victory at Newmarket last July but it’s his performances on the world stage that make Red Cadeaux special.
He thrives when his races are spaced. And he loves a flight!
This horse has run outstanding races in rich Group 1s in Dubai, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and even Ireland. But in his native England, he’s just a decent stayer. It’s incredible what a trip away does for this horse’s form!
Touring the world, Red Cadeaux turns it on like a rockstar. And in the Melbourne Cup, at the ripe old age of eight, there he was again, having a say at the clock-tower.
I’d love to own this horse. What a life it would be. Having Red Cadeaux pay your way on a world tour as you watch the old boy acquit himself well (picking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizemoney), running in the top three in just about every great staying race there is.
When this old horse is retired – and I hope it isn’t soon – we’ll be talking about him for decades.
Ed Dunlop, his trainer, should bring him back next year as a nine-year-old, because I’m sure he’ll run another cracker.
I want to finish this review of the Melbourne Cup by talking about a few of the beaten horses.
Mount Athos (third) was outstanding in defeat. Of all the horses that raced close to the speed, he was far and away the best performer.
Luca Cumani keeps coming away empty-handed from his Australian visits but in Mount Athos (fifth last year) he has a horse who has almost been the best run in two Melbourne Cups.
Simenon (fourth) looked the Cup winner at the 400m mark. He just didn’t have the speed to put them away. If the Cup was a 3600m race, he may well have won. It just goes to show how hard the Cup is to win for long-distance horses.
Dandino (fifth) was an incredible run. He was held up at the back of the field until the 400m mark and was charging home into a respectable finishing place at the end.
Ryan Moore’s last two rides in the Melbourne Cup (on Mount Athos last year and Dandino in 2013) have been way too conservative.
Who knows, if Moore was a bit braver and was willing to ride a bit more aggressively, he could easily have at least one Melbourne Cup next to his name.
You have to feel for the owners of Dandino. Their horse has run incredibly well in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups but I could easily make a case to say the horse was cost victory (at least his best chance at victory) by two conservative rides. It was Craig Williams who rode Dandino into second at Caulfield.
Perhaps the biggest flop in the Cup was the well supported Sea Moon (13th). The Lloyd Williams galloper didn’t stay the distance and is probably best kept to a maximum of 2500m from now in Australia.
The same can be said of Dear Demi (19th) and Hawkspur (20th).
The Melbourne Cup wasn’t without its disappointments either.
Obviously the demise of Verema is a shocking story and for it to happen with the Aga Khan’s first Australian runner is a big blow for the Melbourne Cup.
But the more controversial Cup talking point came via the steward’s decision to allow Dunaden (12th) and Tres Blue (22nd) to run in the Melbourne Cup after both horses were found to have been treated with non-prohibited substances on race-day.
The enquiries that follow will be worth keeping tabs on. I for one was a bit shocked to learn that both horses would be allowed to run.
In any case, Tres Blue, the European three-year-old, threw away any winning chance he had when he played up poorly in the mounting yard before the Cup.
In the 2013 Melbourne Cup – a Cup in which each of the three place-getters improved on their 2012 Cup result – experience counted for plenty.
Watch the race in full
Official Melbourne Cup finishing order and margins
1. Fiorente – WINNER
2. Red Cadeaux (0.75L)
3. Mount Athos (2.25L)
4. Simenon (2.45L)
5. Dandino (3.45L)
6. Fawkner (5.95L)
7. Ethiopia (6.95L)
8. Brown Panther (7.25L)
9. Super Cool (7.65L)
10. Voleuse De Coeurs (7.95L)
11. Dunaden (8.7L)
12. Seville (8.9L)
13. Sea Moon (9.4L)
14. Royal Empire (10.4L)
15. Mourayan(11.65L)
16. Ibicenco (12.05L)
17. Foreteller (12.8L)
18. Masked Marvel (14.05L)
19. Dear Demi (14.8L)
20. Hawkspur (19.05L)
21. Green Moon (44.05L)
22. Tres Blue (54.05L)
23. Ruscello (56.3L)
24. Verema – Failed to finish
Nugget
Guest
One interesting connection between tjhese two events is Gai used the same excuse - oh it's just human error - both times. Remember when she didn't bother mentioning More Joyous' injury and treatment. Be interesting to see if she gets away with it again.
JC
Guest
Yeah maybe you're right Cameron. I've just seen the TVN footage which showed the start head on and he seemed to jump awarkwardly which is unusual for the horse. On a side note I don't know about you but I don't like the chopper shots channel 7 use for the start of races. It's very hard to tell how he horses have jumped and how keen the early speed is.
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
Had an amazing time down in Melbourne. Only regret is that my 3yo daughter tipped me the trifecta and I ignored her - the one with the purple (her favorite colour), the one with the star (she loves stars) and number three (her age). Deadset, I should have paid for her education right there!
kv joef
Guest
This is one reason why 95% Cummings horses start at least once in the 10 days leading up to the cup. i remember a visiting trainer being horrified at cummings giving a cup contender a 600m 'wind-out' on the morning of the race. Strange how things change. In days gone by top staying trainers nearly always gave a stayer a bit of work the day before or on raceday to 'knock-the-edge-off. I would have been surprised if LW didn't but i'm sure he now agrees with you Cam, a mac start would have helped. Actually i was surprised Hawkspur wasn't a big mac contender as well and marked him down because of it.
Cameron Rose
Expert
I have to disagree JC, if you watch Fawkner in the opening couple of hundred metres, he's throwing his head around and you see Hall take control and settle him. No jockey in their right mind would purposely allow their mount to settle that far back after drawing perfectly. A run in the Mackinnon would have taken that freshness out of him IMO.
Cameron Rose
Expert
I have to disagree JC, if you watch Fawkner in the opening couple of hundred metres, he's throwing his head around and you see Hall take control and settle him. No jockey in their right mind would purposely allow their mount to settle that far back after drawing perfectly. A run in the Mackinnon would have taken that freshness out of him IMO.
JC
Guest
Unfortunately the race just didn't work out for Fawkner. I'm certain the plan would not have been to go all the way back to last although his racing pattern is to get back, but I felt the fact there was a lot of speed coming from the outside shuffled Fawkner back more so than Nick Hall snagging him back to get him to settle. I doubt running in the MacKinnon would have enhanced his chances as the horse loves his runs spaced but agree completely that his finish was outstanding. What is exciting is he has gone to another level this prep and still has a lot of upside.
Cameron Rose
Expert
If Lloyd Williams had his time again, Fawkner would run in the Mackinnon. If so, he'd possibly have another Melbourne Cup to his name. The horse was too fresh out of the gates, and Nick Hall had only one option - snag him back and try and settle him immediately. His only other option was to let him go, which would have been a death sentence for a seasoned stayer, let alone one going beyond 2400m for the first time in the toughest Melbourne Cup yet. Fawkner then had to make his move an hour before anything else in the race, and had to go from two lengths last to 106 wide around the entire sweeping turn. His run to keep finding enough to finish 6th in that field was amazing. All credit to the winner, in the top few horses in the country in well at the weights and under the hands of a master jockey, but Fawkner would have given him something to think about in the closing stages if he'd settled into stride immediately out of the gates.
Jorji Costava
Guest
Anyone know what happened to the Gai Waterhouse/John Singleton/old rugby player scandal? That story has died right off. Maybe if you "fix" something in NSW it does not count against you in Vic? Sad about Verema. It was all over talk back radio in Melbourne today. A lot of angry people. Will be interesting for how much longer our modern society will allow these barbaric sports to exist.
sheek
Roar Guru
Allanthus, My understanding is that once the stewards were informed of the substances used, they were satisfied none of it contained banned substances. I guess they must know their products. No doubt they'll run tests just to double-check to ensure they weren't lied to. We demand a more commons sense approach from officials & I thought the VRC handled things brilliantly yesterday. And yes, we should always seek better controls.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
If Gai gets off Scott free (excuse the pun) then Paul Beshara should have a good case to sue for discrimination. This has the potential to be a massive story...
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Hi Sheek I'm happy with what was decided yesterday. I agree that the discretion is there and it did seem to be a common sense decision from the information available - I guess you can say that it passed the sniff test (no pun intended re Gai's undies) But the wider problem remains that while ever rules like this are open to interpretation, there may be other cases which aren't so clear cut, and the stewards decision doesn't sit so well with a public who may not have all the facts. And that can't be a good thing for racing. Thus an unambiguous, blanket no treatment rule, might just be the best option.
kv joef
Guest
Not sure about the Moore appraisal. Dandino was 2.5L behind Foriente on straightening with Moore following Oliver into the race - Fiorente just left him and the margin didn't narrow but agree he no prob with the trip ... just the company :). Dandino and Fiorente were together in the back about 8/9L off the lead. Moore slip-streamed the turn drifting away from the fence to be parked behind oliver on straightening. Was clear in plenty of time. Oliver's ride as mentioned elsewhere was a masterclass ... straight out of H.White's playbook. Bludge the first mile then pick'em off to be in the hunt at 800m. From there it's all about getting into clear room on straightening no matter how wide you go, after-all either your horse can stay or it can't and you are going to find out in the next 400m.
sheek
Roar Guru
During the telecast yesterday, channel seven read out two sub-rules. The second used the word "may". This gives the stewards room to move. I must say I'm pretty happy that common sense discretion was used. i think the VRC acted wisely, although obviously a lot of people disagree.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Not that I'd be volunteering to check them out myself...
Geoff Parkes
Expert
That seems to be the most sensible rule Justin. At the moment there are too many variables, too much discretion. As Mr Beshara found it obviously impacts on the case if the trainer is packing a syringe down their undies or not. It seems that Gai had clean undies on yesterday.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Great comment kv. Your last paragraph is an idea racing authorities should look at.
kv joef
Guest
Yes Scott, once again, some of their ill-thought-out rules have placed themselves in the cross-hairs. Although, there is a diff. Beshara is accused of using an inject-able. This when quickly administered to a horse's neck, will often leave a pimple-type mound (fluid under the skin) usually hidden under the mane and lasts for a while depending on the sloppiness. No doubt why the stewards played a double-blind with the quick re-visit. Another factor is this older horse has improved noticeably this prep which i'm sure that brought him under notice. Still i certainly agree that unless they can point to a spectra-gram and say there is the unknown substance ... he should win his appeal but the stewards with their actions have also served notice. Gai's treatment was a greasy heal treatment and the french horse apparently suffers from ulcers - very stressful being a G1 horse at flem on cup day :). The stewards should approve a list of 'harmless' medications for incidents that arise everyday in a stable. (EG a horse knocks a bit of bark off himself in a morning sand-roll on raceday - it could get infected treated with water) so you have to pee-away 6 months work. Get an approved list and have the stewards SMS'd on treatment. The stewards aren't told because they might have a hissy-fit and scr. the horse for a nothing treatment. The trainers are willing to cop the fine.
Brad Durrant
Roar Guru
Rudy I was going to write comment re: Dandino, but you have summed it up perfectly. Still cant work out what Ryan Moore was thinking
onside
Guest
Thanks Justin,WFA is a big call, but it just might be a brilliant strategy. Maybe, just maybe, its time to move on from owners/trainers trying to get under the guard of the handicapper. Or for that matter, the handicapper trying to second guess a horses potential when it has never competed over the distance.(some horses get unfairly penalised for what might be) If more owners were attracted to the carnival, and better horses were included, there might be an opportunity to include another high class Group 1 on the racing calendar, to accommodate the overflow, those horses that missed out on a start in the bid one. Regarding history, perhaps the time is right to think of the past as prologue .