FIORENTE GAVE CONTROVERSIAL jockey Damien Oliver his third race win and trainer Gai Waterhouse her first victory in the Melbourne Cup.
English-reared Fiorente, the 6-1 favourite and last year’s runner-up, surged home over the 3200 metres (two miles) ahead of British stayers Red Cadeaux and Mount Athos to win Australia’s most famous race by three-quarters of a length.
The Willie Mullins-trained Simenon, bidding to become the third Irish horse to win the Melbourne Cup, finished a strong-finishing fourth with English stayer Dandino fifth.
It was Oliver’s third victory in the 153rd Melbourne Cup after previous wins on Ireland’s Media Puzzle in 2002 and Doriemus in 1995, while leading trainer Waterhouse broke through for her first success in the Aus$6 million ($5.7 million) race after three runner-up placings.
“It’s every jockey’s dream come true. It’s a really special moment,” said Oliver, who was banned from racing last year for 10 months after being found guilty of putting money on a rival horse that won a race in which he was riding.
“I’m so rapt that I could be part of Gai’s first one. She’s done so much for racing and it’s a great honour for me to help bring home her first one.”
It was a popular home victory with Waterhouse, daughter of famous trainer TJ Smith, landing her first Melbourne Cup win after previous second-place finishes with Fiorente last year, Te Akau Nick in 1993 and Nothin’ Leica Dane in 1995.
“So thrilled for everyone. I love racing and what a fabulous race,” Waterhouse said.
TJ Smith won two Melbourne Cups, but his daughter added the rejoinder: “I’ll have to do it again, won’t I?”
Fiorente was bred in Ireland and began his racing life in the Newmarket stable of Michael Stoute before Waterhouse bought the six-year-old stallion for Aus$1.1 million little more than a year ago to race in Australia.
The horse, who was beaten by a length by Green Moon in last year’s Cup, wore down Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux, who was runner-up in the race for a second time after he was pipped by French galloper Dunaden in 2011.
Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani again had a placegetter with Mount Athos taking third after his unlucky fifth last year.
The Cumani-trained Purple Moon finished a close second in 2007 and Bauer got even closer when narrowly beaten the following year.
Cumani, who plans to return next year if he can find the right horse, said of Mount Athos: “He ran a great race. There was no bad luck. He had a good position. He finished well and ran well.”
Oliver brought Fiorente from midfield to stake his challenge at the 300m.
“I was a fair way back and before I knew it I was right on top of them,” Oliver said.
“When you’re in front that last 200 seems to take forever. Nothing is a given in this game.”
It was an overdue win for Waterhouse, who has long been one of Australia’s prominent trainers and it was well received by the 100,000 crowd at the Flemington track.
“Didn’t he ride him a treat? Honestly and truly. He got back to about 12th then he just kept trekking up and trekking up,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s a race that stops the nation. Isn’t it nice to have a favourite that can do that?”
Brown Panther, owned by former England football international Michael Owen, was up with the pace early and finished eighth, while Godolphin runner Royal Empire was down the track in 14th. Dunaden was 11th.
There was tragedy in the race when the Aga Khan’s first runner in the Cup, French mare Verema, was put down after breaking a leg during the running. Her connections were too distraught to speak.
