Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200811/20081105/article_379441.htm
Blake Shinn celebrates on board the Bart Cummings-trained Viewed after winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.
Blake Shinn celebrates on board the Bart Cummings-trained Viewed after winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.
Early birthday gift for Cummings
Created: 2008-11-5
AUSTRALIA'S master trainer Bart Cummings received an early 81st birthday present when the unfancied Viewed provided him with his 12th Melbourne Cup victory at Flemington racecourse yesterday.
Viewed, who started at odds of nearly 50-1, held off fast-finishing British entrant Bauer to win by a nose in one of the closest finishes in the 148-year history of Australia's most famous race.
The locally-prepared C'Est La Guerre finished third, two lengths adrift, while British-trained favorite Mad Rush faded to come seventh.
Cummings, who turns 81 on November 14, won his first Melbourne Cup in 1965 and his previous one in 1999.
This year marked the 50th anniversary of his first runner in the gruelling 3,200-meter handicap that "stops the nation" and his victory was his 250th at Group One level.
"It's nice to a win a race like this, a race that everyone in Australia likes to win ?? particularly my owners," Cummings said in a televised interview.
"I thought it was all over in the last 50 yards, then I thought I wasn't sure. It just happens to be a nice win."
Cummings has seven more Melbourne Cup titles than the next closest trainer.
Jockey Blake Shinn, 21, said the narrow win "nearly made me cry."
"It's one of the greatest moments in sport, to ride the Melbourne Cup winner," he said. "It's something I've dreamed of for a long time, since I was a young kid.
"To win the Melbourne Cup for a living legend in the sport in Mr. Cummings is a great thrill."
Shinn said he had no choice but to lead the runners home after traveling perfectly for most of the race.
"I hit the front earlier than I would have liked to but he had the going," Shinn said. "The last 10 seconds was long. I thought, 'I've gone too early, I'm going to get beat.' But the horse kept his momentum. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Much of the pre-race talk had been of the challenge for the 5.5-million Australian dollars race from European horses, particularly in the strong Irish presence headed by Aidan O'Brien's Septimus, Alessandro Volta and Honolulu.
The Irish raiders appeared to be living up to their pre-race hype with all three sharing the lead for the first 2,400 meters.
Septimus, who was only confirmed for entry earlier in the day after O'Brien inspected the track to see if it had softened, led down the home straight for the first pass before Alessandro Volta took the lead.
The four-year-old colt led down the entire back straight at breakneck speed before Honolulu hit the front, closely followed by Septimus and Boundless, with 800 meters to run.
The leading trio was four lengths clear and top weight Septimus, Europe's leading stayer, seemingly had an opportunity to become the third Irish horse after Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002) to snatch Australasia's richest race.
The field, however, narrowed the gap around the final turn and Viewed surged into a three-length lead before Corey Brown steered Bauer to an outside line and hauled in the five-year-old with every stride before just missing out on victory.
C'Est La Guerre was a further two lengths back, Septimus finished 18th, Alessandro Volta 20th and Honolulu 21st of the 22 runners.
Viewed, who started at odds of nearly 50-1, held off fast-finishing British entrant Bauer to win by a nose in one of the closest finishes in the 148-year history of Australia's most famous race.
The locally-prepared C'Est La Guerre finished third, two lengths adrift, while British-trained favorite Mad Rush faded to come seventh.
Cummings, who turns 81 on November 14, won his first Melbourne Cup in 1965 and his previous one in 1999.
This year marked the 50th anniversary of his first runner in the gruelling 3,200-meter handicap that "stops the nation" and his victory was his 250th at Group One level.
"It's nice to a win a race like this, a race that everyone in Australia likes to win ?? particularly my owners," Cummings said in a televised interview.
"I thought it was all over in the last 50 yards, then I thought I wasn't sure. It just happens to be a nice win."
Cummings has seven more Melbourne Cup titles than the next closest trainer.
Jockey Blake Shinn, 21, said the narrow win "nearly made me cry."
"It's one of the greatest moments in sport, to ride the Melbourne Cup winner," he said. "It's something I've dreamed of for a long time, since I was a young kid.
"To win the Melbourne Cup for a living legend in the sport in Mr. Cummings is a great thrill."
Shinn said he had no choice but to lead the runners home after traveling perfectly for most of the race.
"I hit the front earlier than I would have liked to but he had the going," Shinn said. "The last 10 seconds was long. I thought, 'I've gone too early, I'm going to get beat.' But the horse kept his momentum. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Much of the pre-race talk had been of the challenge for the 5.5-million Australian dollars race from European horses, particularly in the strong Irish presence headed by Aidan O'Brien's Septimus, Alessandro Volta and Honolulu.
The Irish raiders appeared to be living up to their pre-race hype with all three sharing the lead for the first 2,400 meters.
Septimus, who was only confirmed for entry earlier in the day after O'Brien inspected the track to see if it had softened, led down the home straight for the first pass before Alessandro Volta took the lead.
The four-year-old colt led down the entire back straight at breakneck speed before Honolulu hit the front, closely followed by Septimus and Boundless, with 800 meters to run.
The leading trio was four lengths clear and top weight Septimus, Europe's leading stayer, seemingly had an opportunity to become the third Irish horse after Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002) to snatch Australasia's richest race.
The field, however, narrowed the gap around the final turn and Viewed surged into a three-length lead before Corey Brown steered Bauer to an outside line and hauled in the five-year-old with every stride before just missing out on victory.
C'Est La Guerre was a further two lengths back, Septimus finished 18th, Alessandro Volta 20th and Honolulu 21st of the 22 runners.
Agencies
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