Almandin Delivers Record in Melbourne Cup Win
Lloyd Williams celebrated a record-setting fifth Melbourne Cup (Aus-I) victory as an owner Nov. 1 when his German-bred runner Almandin won the 156th running of the race that stops a nation with a heart-pounding finish over Heartbreak City.
The 6-year-old son of Monsun—Anatola, by Tiger Hill, also delivered the second Melbourne Cup victory to jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who had won his first in 2000 aboard Brew, and a second Cup for trainer Robert Hickmott, who saddled winner Green Moon in 2012.
Winning the Melbourne Cup is a longtime tradition for Williams, 76, who was a board member of the Victoria Racing Club in the 1990s, but his passion for the race has extended far beyond a desire to win it, according to Racing.com.
Williams played a key role in opening the 3,200-meter race to the world and transforming the Melbourne Cup into the richest staying handicap. In 1990 the Victoria Racing Club was paying to get TV coverage and now the event creates an economic impact of $400 million to Victoria, reported Racing.com.
Almandin, bred by Gestut Schlenderhan, attracted several new owners after qualifying for the Melbourne Cup by winning the Bart Cummings Stakes (Aus-III) at Flemington Oct. 2. The ownership group includes Williams’ son, Nick; Brian Singer, co-founder of Rip Curl; Alan Green, founder of Quicksilver; Phil Mehrten, director of Pro-build Constructions; legendary music figure Michael Gudinski; and, John Ingham, who is the son of one of Williams’ close friends, Bob Ingham.
Settling into stride the first time past the Flemington grandstand, the 24-horse field was led by Excess Knowledge and Curren Mirotic into the first turn. Secret Number would take the lead down the backstretch ahead of Excess Knowledge, while the winner bided his time about 10 lengths back.
Coming out of the second turn, eight horses lined up across the head of the stretch with Almandin swung into mid-course with 400 meters remaining. He immediately hooked up with Heartbreak City to his inside. With each 100 meters cleared, Heartbreak City looked to have the heart and stamina needed to keep his advantage. With only 100 meters left, Almandin caught his rival who responded by putting a head back in front. Almandin, however, won the war of wills and kicked to the wire, winning by a head. The final time was 3:20.58.
Godolphin’s Hartnell, the 9/2 favorite, was third by 4 1/4 lengths. The homebred by Authorized (IRE) was one of three Goldolphin had entered, which included fourth-placed Qewy and Oceanographer, who came in 12th.
Godolphin’s John Ferguson told Racing Post: “Oceanographer was flat after his run on Saturday, backing him up didn’t work. We’re absolutely thrilled with Hartnell and with Qewy, too. Qewy has come a long way from when I had him.
“It’s a great result, we’re delighted and we’ve had a great campaign here. It’s confirmed what we believed we could achieve down here, we’ve learned a hell of a lot and we will be back,” he said.
Tags: Australia, Melbourne Cup, Kerrin McEvoy, Lloyd Williams, Robert Hickmott, Almandin
fonte : Bloodhorse.com
Australia: #Almandin vince la Melbourne Cup, battuti Heartbreak City e Hartnell. Sangue tedesco al potere!
Quando si parla di stamina, viene in mente subito la Germania. Anche in un mondo lontano come l’Australia, terra più che altro di velocisti, questo è dogma fisso. Gli Aussie lo hanno capito da tempo che per vincere la Emirates Melbourne Cup sulle due miglia ci vuole sangue europeo ed un cavallo esperto e per questo motivo hanno cominciato ad importare sempre più spesso cavalli del genere per poter vincere una corsa dura, impegnativa e lunga come quella che è da tutti considerata “the race that stop a nation”. Il risultato è stato chiaro e netto, per la prima volta sul podio sono arrivati due cavalli che provengono appunto da famiglie tedesche. Di fronte a più di 100,000 persone a vincere è stato Almandin (Monsun), un sette anni allenato da Robert Hickmott per Lloyd Williams (ma di un sindacato che include tutti questi proprietari: Mr N C Williams, Mr L J Williams, Mrs S J Williams, Mr B N Singer, Mr P Mehrten, Mr A L Green, Mrs B A Green, Mr J A Ingham, Mr V Sammartino, Mr M S Gudinski), che con in sella Kerrin McEvoy ha dato vita ad un vibrante duello contro Heartbreak City (Lando) con a bordo Joao Moreira per Tony Martin in quello che è stato quasi un capolavoro di training nella 156° edizione di una corsa a dir poco spettacolare, conclusasi con un tempo di 3m 20.58s, uno dei più bassi ma comunque non vicino al recente record di 3m 17,71s. Per Kerrin McEvoy, sposato con una sorella di Michelle Payne vincitrice storia della scorsa edizione della Melbourne Cup, è la seconda vittoria in questa corsa 16 anni dopo Brew nel 2000, per il proprietario Lloyd Williams era la quinta vittoria nelal corsa 35 anni dopo la prima, mentre per Robert Hickmott era la seconda in cinque anni dopo Green Moon nel 2012.Terzo è arrivato l’atteso e favorito Hartnell (Authorized) per John O’Shea ed i colori Godolphin, stesso team per il quarto Qewy(Street Cry) ma allenato da Charlie Appleby.
PUBBLICATO DA GABRIELE CANDI A MARTEDÌ, NOVEMBRE 01, 2016
Almandin and Kerrin McEvoy saw off Joao Moreira and Heartbreak City
PICTURE: Getty Images
Four things we learned from the Melbourne Cup
Wide draw does for Wicklow Brave
With the Melbourne Cup run over 2m, you would think the effect of a wide draw would be lessened, but as the race is often run at a furious pace, it does prove a disadvantage if you are posted wide and cannot get in.
This was exactly what happened to Wicklow Brave, who was always prominent from stall 24 of 24, but the seven-year-old was never able to get any cover, and did not appear to enjoy his trip round as he flashed his tail a couple of times down the back straight before finishing well down the field.
Wait goes on for Godolphin, but Qewy a star
It has been an interesting year for Qewy, who ran in the Coral Cup in March, and then took on a very different type of Cup challenge at Flemington.
The six-year-old has thrived in Australia, winning the Geelong Cup before coming with a good late run to take fourth in the Melbourne Cup.
While Godolphin’s wait for a first win in the race goes on for another year, at six, Qewy looks like he could be a spring carnival fixture for another couple of seasons, along with Hartnell, who took third.
Aussies know a Cup sort
The locals once again repelled a strong challenge from Britain and Ireland, and they did it with Almandin, who was trained previously by the German-based Jean-Pierre Carvalho.
Recent previous winners Fiorente and Green Moon were also snaffled from Europe and it seems trainers and bloodstock agents have a great eye for what is needed to win the race.
Follow the Ebor
Form students looking for a clue as to where the challenge from Britain, although latterly Ireland, will come from next year should pay close attention to the Ebor.
The race has a similar make-up to the Cup, being a staying handicap that is basically the preserve of Group horses. Heartbreak City nearly did the double this year, as did Purple Moon nine years ago, while Wicklow Brave was second at York last year and also developed into a Melbourne Cup contender.
