Melbourne Cup
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It was a fairytale come true for jockey Kerrin McEvoy, 20, who won
the Melbourne Cup the first time he had contested it, and only six
days after completing his apprenticeship. McEvoy was given the ride
on the New Zealand-bred Brew when Chris Munce, who rode Brew on
Saturday, opted to ride Coco Cobanna. Coco Cobanna finished 20th.
"Kerrin rang six days ago and asked where he stood with Brew and
I said he didn't stand anywhere," trainer Mike Moroney said.
"Brett Prebble wanted to ride him, but his limit was 49.5 kilos,
and we wanted the horse ridden at the right weight. "After he won
[on Saturday] Chris Munce said he would ride him in the Cup and
we only knew half an hour before acceptances that he'd changed his
mind."
The millennium Melbourne Cup contained the elements that have made
the race such an enduring success - a wonderful ride by a novice
jockey, a crafty trainer and a game horse. It was not won by a great
champion, rather by natural stayer who took advantage of a favourable
handicap. In other words, an old-fashioned Melbourne Cup winner.
With just 49 kilograms on his back, Brew carried 7 kilograms less
than he had in winning a lead-up race on Saturday.
When you thought about it - and the odds of 14/1 suggest most punters
did not think about it until after the race - it was the Melbourne
Cup omen bet of the new century. On the last occasion the race would
be sponsored by Carlton and United Breweries and with many in the
huge, heaving crowd of 121,000 - the largest since 1926 - straining
to get to the bar to ease their thirst, what else did this warm
spring day demand but a frothing Brew? Never mind that this winner
was named for a less intoxicating type of beverage (his dam is Horlicks).
Brew was, for a day, the toast of Flemington. Coming from the outsider
barrier, McEvoy settled behind midfield then threaded his way forward,
bursting past Second Coming with 200 metres to go. Before it all
began, the young star of the Olympics opening ceremony, Nikki Webster,
was upstaged by a stubborn five-year-old. As she pounded out a relatively
tuneful version of the national anthem, outsider Pravda staged a
one-horse war with its rider, trainer and the stewards, refusing
to gallop to the starting stalls. Eventually Pravda was scratched
and returned to the mounting yard in disgrace.
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