News

French flare by a nostril

2nd Nov 2011

The Age - Andrew Eddy - Tuesday, 1 November 2011

IT TAKES something special for a crowd estimated at 105,000 to collectively hush. But hush they did for as long as three minutes at Flemington yesterday as judge Bill Quin pored over the photo finish between Dunaden and Red Cadeaux following the 151st Melbourne Cup.

''That's the closest finish I've had,'' said Quin, who has been judge of the Melbourne Cup for 12 years.

''I doubt there has ever been a closer Cup finish. We thought the Bauer photo was close a few years ago [2008], but that was nothing compared to this. It may have taken 40 seconds [before we decided on the winner], but this one was between two and three minutes. I don't think you can get much closer.''

For just the second time in his career as the ultimate adjudicator of Australian racing's most famous race, Quin reached for the magnifying glass to see that Dunaden had edged out Red Cadeaux at the end of a gruelling 3200 metres.

''Bauer was beaten a nose, the same margin as this one, but this was so close to being a dead heat. You want to be able to split them, and thankfully we could,'' he said.

It wasn't just the winning margin that had Quin poring over the photo. In all there were an amazing eight margins of a nose in the race, and many thousands of dollars rode on each decision. There was a nose between third placegetter Lucas Cranach and fourth-placed Americain, a nose between fifth-placed Manighar and sixth-placed Lost In The Moment, and a further nose to seventh-placed Fox Hunt. Eighth-placed Niwot had a nose margin over ninth-placed Unusual Suspect.

''There is big money on the line right through to 10th place so there was a fair bit of pressure, but fortunately we were able to find margins all the way through,'' Quin said.

So while French jockey Christophe Lemaire (right) was celebrating, the man he replaced on Dunaden, the suspended Craig Williams, was at the movies, trying to get away from all the drama of the Cup he wished would be his. He soon realised he had missed out as his mobile phone started to ring - and kept ringing.

Williams's bid to become the first rider to win all three spring majors in a season was thwarted a day earlier when he lost an application for a stay of proceedings over a careless riding charge from Bendigo last Wednesday.

Williams watched a replay of the race and said Lemaire had produced a ''10 out of 10'' ride under enormous pressure.

Lemaire, who has known Williams for some years when Williams was trying his luck overseas, said he knew that his joy was only matched by Williams's pain.

''Of course I feel very disappointed for him. He must be devastated because the Melbourne Cup in this country is a dream, and he missed it,'' he said.

Yesterday's race, featuring 11 European-trained gallopers and, in all, 16 international horses, was a further turn of the wheel for the richest handicap in the world. It took the Melbourne Cup 132 years to grow up and another 18 years before it reached international recognition as the best staying race in the world, but yesterday its evolution was finally complete.

The prolonged climax to the race was a fitting end to a race that had it all. For the second year in a row, the Loving Cup went to France with Dunaden's narrow victory over Red Cadeaux. Winning rider Lemaire saluted at his first ever ride at Flemington and he was only officially booked for the ride 23 hours before the race.

Lemaire was a little stunned by what had taken placed since he flew into Melbourne from Japan on Monday. He knew of the Melbourne Cup and heard it was a race that transfixed a nation but still he was not prepared for the pre-race hype and the post-race celebration. ''I have heard of the Melbourne Cup but you've got to see it to believe it because of the crowd, the atmosphere, the passion you can feel in the race is something special.''

Jockey Corey Brown was outed for 14 meetings for causing interference on Lucas Cranach in the Melbourne Cup, while two other jockeys were also suspended. Damien Oliver was outed for causing interference on Sabrage in the Victoria Derby, and he was given a 12 meeting suspension, while Chris Symons received a nine meeting suspension following his careless riding charge on And Rock in the Lexus Plate. All three riders are free to ride in tomorrow's Oaks day meeting but will be unavailable on Saturday.

While Williams missed the three majors of the spring, Age tipster Shelley Hancox tipped all three: Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed ($10), Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker ($26) and Melbourne Cup winner.