http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHK6NyUUHw
WINS THE MELBOURNE CUP ON DUNADEN!
The know-it-alls said it would almost be impossible for him to win the Melbourne Cup.
After all, he hadn’t ever ridden the Flemington track before.
This was his first ride on the track and in such an important race.
If Craig Williams, who was so cruelly denied riding the horse, was the one who could “only win the Cup” on the French galloper Dunaden.
He had recently won on the horse in the Geelong Cup and knew the horse inside out.
But, Christophe Lemaire is not a truly world class jockey for nothing.
Former Melbourne Cup-winning jockey John Marshall, left, shows Dunaden’s new jockey, Frenchman Christophe Lemaire, around the the spacious Flemington track.
(Photo: Vince Caligiuri)
Dunaden has drifted in betting since the appeal was dismissed.
Flown out from Japan on Sunday to replace the suspended Craig Williams, Lemaire on the Mikel Dezangles-trained galloper won by one of the shortest margins in the Melbourne Cup history.
While sparing a thought for Williams who had to sit in the grandstands and watch this win, also think about Richard Gibson, the horse’s former trainer and now based in Hong Kong.
Also spare a thought for Michael Rodd who came so close to winning the race with Red Cadeaux.
Here’s what many wouldn’t know: The connections of the hose had approached Hong Kong’s Champion Jockey Douglas Whyte to ride the Ed Dunlop-trained galloper.
However, when Rodd’s regular ride, December Draw, injured itself and was withdrawn from this race, the ride went to him- and with not so much as a courtesy call to Whyte telling him of their decision.
As for the rest of the results, in a slowly run race which developed into a sprint home, the first four horses past the past all came from outside of Australia.
“Americain”, last year’s winner, settled way back in the field and Gerard Mosse had too much to do with its big weight.
It was honourable in defeat, losing third place in a photo finish with Ireland’s Mourayan ridden by Corey Brown.
But the day belonged to Christophe Lemaire.
He made many in Oz eat their words.
After The Race That Stops A Nation, he suddenly became The Wizard Of Oz.
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