MELBOURNE: Green Moon thundered down the straight to win the Melbourne Cup yesterday, upsetting a host of highly fancied foreign horses to bring Australia’s most coveted racing prize back home.
The Robert Hickmott-trained stallion charged to the front 300 meters from the line and held off fast-finishing Fiorente to win the punishing A$6.2 million ($6.43 million) two-mile handicap by a length.
The Irish-bred six-year-old defied 22-1 odds and several quality European stayers to hand local jockey Brett Prebble his first Cup and owner Lloyd Williams his fourth.
Third-placed Jakkalberry finished a further length-and-a-quarter back.
Clad in blue and white silks, the Hong Kong-based Prebble punched the air in celebration as a packed crowd at Flemington Racecourse roared under leaden skies.
Prebble shook hands with Britain’s Prince Charles in the crowd and said he knew the race won at the 1,200 meter mark.
“It’s a lifelong dream,” Prebble told reporters.
“I thought the only thing that could get him beaten was his stamina if he didn’t stay the trip.
“But the feeling he was giving me at the 1,200 was the sort of feeling you only get from very good horses.
“I’ve been very fortunate to ride some champions and he’s up there in the top 10.”
Last year’s winner Dunaden and fellow French stayer Americain, who won the 2010 race, were favorites in the lead-up but failed to mount a serious challenge.
The Mikel Delzangles-trained Dunaden started favorite despite carrying the top weight of 59 kilograms but finished 14th in the 24-entrant field, while Americain ran in 11th.
Americain’s non-placing spared the blushes of Australian racing administrators, criticized for allowing local jockey and former Cup winner Damien Oliver to ride despite being under investigation for illegal betting.
Local media reported earlier yesterday that Oliver had admitted to stewards he had bet on a rival horse at a local race meeting two years ago.
Oliver, who won the 2002 race on Media Puzzle, had been scheduled to ride Green Moon at the Cup and the prestigious Cox Plate last month but the 40-year-old was dumped by Williams after the corruption allegations emerged.
Williams previously won the Melbourne Cup with Just a Dash (1981), What a Nuisance (1985) and Efficient (2007).
The property magnate imported Green Moon in 2010 after the stallion failed to make a major impression in Britain.
Green Moon’s fortunes improved dramatically Down Under, although few had backed him for the Cup fter a disappointing seventh at last month’s prestigious 2,040-meter Cox Plate.
“We put a lot of money in and a heck of a lot of effort so to get this result today is terrific,” said Williams’s son and racing manager Nick. “God bless everyone who wrote him off.”
Fiorente’s second place brought further disappointment to trainer Gai Waterhouse, who had prepared two previous runners-up with Te Akau Nick in 1993 and Nothin Leica Dane in 1995.
Italian trainer Marco Botti’s Jakkalberry was the best of the international entrants, with the Luca Cumani-trained Mount Athos finishing fifth.
Last year’s runner-up Red Cadeaux, trained by Briton Ed Dunlop, came eighth, while the powerful Goldolphin stable’s entrant Cavalryman was 12th.
Green Moon charges to Melbourne Cup victory
Green Moon charges to Melbourne Cup victory
Mbappe double at Villarreal takes Real Madrid top of La Liga
VILA-REAL, Spain Kylian Mbappe netted twice to earn Real Madrid a 2-0 win at Villarreal on Saturday and take his side to the top of La Liga.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s team moved two points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona, who host bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo on Sunday.
La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe reached 21 goals for the season in the competition to help Madrid see off a spirited Villarreal side, who are now fourth.
Arbeloa’s side have won three consecutive matches across all competitions and victory at Villarreal could be a vital step in the revival of their season.
After the shock Copa del Rey defeat at second-tier Albacete in Arbeloa’s first match at the helm just 10 days ago after replacing Xabi Alonso, his Madrid have started to take shape.
The coach has made clear how important his star players are and none has been more crucial this season than French superstar Mbappe, who has netted 34 times across all competitions.
Mbappe and Vinicius Junior “are the best players in the world, they are players who can really unbalance teams, we try to get the ball to them as much as possible,” Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.
“They’re two players who... I’m really happy to have in this state of form and above all, because of the great work they are doing.
“They are really committed to the team, they are the first who are pressing... they’re giving this effort and solidarity that we need from them, so I’m very happy that their reward comes in the form of goals.”
It was a lively but imprecise start at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, as the game glowed but neither side was able to seriously threaten.
Georges Mikautadze lashed a volley narrowly wide after veteran forward Gerard Moreno found him with a floating cross.
At the other end, Madrid midfielder Arda Guler fired straight at Villarreal stopper Luiz Junior after some tidy footwork, and then shot high over the bar at the end of a swift break.
Villarreal’s Juan Foyth limped off hurt in a blow for the hosts, who created a good chance for Pape Gueye just before the break.
The Senegal midfielder, a champion at the Africa Cup of Nations last weekend, powered narrowly wide of the post.
Vinicius, who excelled in Madrid’s 6-1 Champions League rout of Monaco in midweek, also came close with a rasping effort that sailed across Luiz Junior’s goal and wide.
The 25-year-old Brazil forward went a 13th straight La Liga match without scoring, but was involved as Mbappe found the net two minutes into the second half.
- ‘Nightmare for defenses’ -
Vinicius came into the box from the left flank and his low cross was blocked but Mbappe was on hand to squeeze home his 20th league goal of the campaign from close range.
“They are a nightmare for defenses,” said Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “I hope they can keep bringing joy.”
Villarreal had the better of the second half as they worked hard to pull level, but Moreno spurned their best chance by firing inches over when well-placed.
In stoppage time, Mbappe was felled clumsily by Alfonso Pedraza in the box and the French forward cheekily dinked home the resulting penalty to seal Madrid’s victory.
Mbappe’s team-mate Brahim Diaz, who missed a similar attempted Panenka penalty for Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final, was on the pitch to see it as he returned to action for his club.
“For you,” Mbappe appeared to say to Diaz during the celebration, indicating it was a gesture of support.
“For me, the most important thing is that are united, we saw it last Wednesday with Vinicius’s goal and we saw it again today, with Brahim,” Arbeloa told reporters.
The Yellow Submarine are now 10 points behind leaders Madrid, having played one fewer match than Arbeloa’s side.
“We have to be a bit more accurate in attack against these kinds of teams,” admitted Villarreal midfielder Alberto Moleiro.
Elsewhere, fifth-placed Espanyol fell to a 3-2 defeat at Valencia that left them seven points behind Villarreal.
