Payne And Prince Upset Melbourne Cup

Contested since 1861, the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup has left a trail of colorful stories and fairytale results, and the 2015 edition must rank near the top of memorable runnings, with 30-year-old Michelle Payne becoming the first female jockey to win the ‘race that stops a nation’ aboard 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB}). Breaking with the field from the number one post–which was selected by Prince Of Penzance’s strapper, Michelle’s brother Stevie Payne, at Saturday’s barrier draw–Payne kept Prince Of Penzance on the fence and in midpack as the field traveled around the first turn with Big Orange (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) and Excess Knowledge (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) moving in from the two widest gates to lead the field, with British raiders Snow Sky (GB) (Nayef) and Quest For More (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) following with favored Fame Game (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) near the rear of the field. Payne switched Prince Of Penzance into the three path as the field swung into the final turn, placing him on the heels of Trip To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). The winner had a wall of horses in front of him at the top of the lane but an opening soon materialized and, when Payne pushed the button at the 300 meter mark, the blinkered bay swept past the leaders and had enough left to hold off a fast-finishing Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}), under Frankie Dettori, and win by a half-length, with Criterion (NZ) (Sebring {Aus}) getting up to be third.

“I actually can’t believe I’m talking to you after this race,” Payne said shortly after pulling up Prince Of Penzance. “It’s unbelievable; it’s a dream come true. This horse is awesome, what he’s been through. Darren Weir in an unbelievable trainer to get him here. All of his staff down at Warrnambool, this is all down to them, because they got this horse here in great shape. I’m just so grateful and thankful to them and all of the owners. This is just awesome.”

The race was marred by the breakdown of three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) near the finishing post. The popular 9-year-old gelding was found to have suffered a fractured medial sesamoid in his left fore fetlock. Red Cadeaux will not race again, but the injury is not currently considered life threatening.

Tuesday, Flemington, Australia
MELBOURNE CUP-G1, A$6,200,000, VRC, 11-3, Open Handicap, 3200mT, 3:23.15, Good.
1–&PRINCE OF PENZANCE (NZ), 53.0, g, 6, by Pentire (GB)
1st Dam: Royal Successor (USA), by Mr. Prospector (USA)
2nd Dam: Only Royale (IRE), by Caerleon (USA)
3rd Dam: Etoile de Paris (IRE), by Crowned Prince (USA)
(NZ$50,000 Ylg 2011 NZB National Yearling Sale) O-A
McGregor, A T Broadfoot, Galadi Holdings, Wilawl Go Racing
Synd, Dalton Racing, Men In Hats Synd & Winning Five Synd;
B-Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd & Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd,
Waikato, NZ; T-D K Weir; J-Ms Michelle Payne; A$3,800,000.
Lifetime Record: 24-7-6-2, A$4,405,690. Werk Nick Rating: D.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Max Dynamite (FR), 55.0, g, 5, Great Journey (JPN)–Mascara
(GER), by Monsun (GER). (€200,000 RH 2013 AQ Arc de
Triomphe Sale) O-Mrs S Ricci; T-W P Mullins; J-L Dettori;
A$900,000.
3–Criterion (NZ), 57.5, h , 5, Sebring–Mica’s Pride, by Bite the
Bullet (USA). O-Sir O G Glenn; B-Go Bloodstock New Zealand
Ltd, Waikato, NZ; T-David Hayes & Tom Dabernig; J-M J
Walker; A$450,000.
Margins: 0.5 len, 1.3 len, 2.1 len. Odds: 100.00, 12.00, 18.00.
Also Ran: Trip to Paris (IRE), Big Orange (GB), Gust of Wind (NZ), Excess Knowledge (GB), The Offer (IRE), Quest for More (IRE), Our Ivanhowe (GER), Who Shot Thebarman (NZ), Sertorius, Fame Game (JPN), The United States (IRE), Hartnell (GB), Bondi Beach (IRE), Hokko Brave (JPN), Almoonqith (USA), Kingfisher (IRE), Preferment (NZ), Grand Marshal (GB), Sky Hunter (GB), Snow Sky (GB), Red Cadeaux (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

An NZ$50,000 yearling purchase by agent John Foote, Prince Of Penzance made a trio of starts at country tracks before stepping up to win a 2000 meter handicap over this track in May of 2013, the performance that Payne said made her think, “this is a Melbourne Cup horse.” On the shelf for seven months thereafter, he proved consistent over the Australian summer and autumn, finishing first or second in four of six starts including a win in the Listed Mornington Cup under Payne, who has ridden him in all but one of his 24 starts. Given a lengthy break again last Australian winter, Prince Of Penzance took a few starts to find his feet this time last year but ultimately scooped the G2 Moonee Valley Cup going 2500 meters last October before hitting the board in a pair of group races to close out the season. Off again for more than nine months, the bay made a lofty return in Group 1 company in the Memsie S. Aug. 29 and made a good account of himself when eighth, beaten less than 2 1/2 lengths, behind crack miler Boban (Aus) (Bernardini). Dropped back in class a month later, Prince Of Penzance and Payne finished fifth in a Ballart handicap and filled the same position in the Oct. 2 G3 JRA Cup at Moonee Valley. Eighth in the G2 Herbert Power S. at Caulfield a week later, the pair finished second to The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when attempting to defend their Moonee Valley Cup title Oct. 24.

Ballart-based trainer Darren Weir said after Tuesday’s win, “this is a lifetime dream come true. I’ll enjoy it with these blokes [the owners and staff] for sure. I can’t thank them enough and this is the most unbelievable thing to happen to anyone. It all started with this dream to win a Melbourne Cup and Sandy McGregor, a mate of mine, offered to put the money up, and the rest is history.”

Weir revealed that Prince Of Penzance has overcome numerous adversities throughout his career.

“He’d had two joint surgeries, then when he was about to come back into work he got a twisted bowel and a colic operation–what an amazing horse,” he said.

Payne offered some further insight on the gelding’s trip, saying, “he was still towing me into the straight and when he let go Darren Weir said count to 10, and I didn’t count, I was just hoping it was long enough, and he just burst to the front and he was powering to the line. Coming down the straight the first time he was going steady and I had to give him a bit of a dig, which I didn’t want to, to stir him up, but I had to hold my spot where I wanted to be. I think Joao Moreira [aboard The United States] was a bit pissed with me because he had to clip heels because he was trying to get to the fence and I was in there. We traveled quite strong the whole way; he didn’t really get to rest but he was still in a rhythm and from the 1000 [meters] everything just opened up. I got on the back of Trip To Paris, who took me into the race; I was actually clipping his heels I was going that good, but I didn’t want to check him, and then he just got into the straight and burst clear.”

Prince Of Penzance is the seventh foal out of Royal Successor, who has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old full-sister to Prince Of Penzance named Penthouse Princess (NZ), and a yearling colt also by Pentire.

Red Cadeaux “Comfortable”…

Racing Victoria issued a statement on the condition of Red Cadeaux late Tuesday that read, “RV can confirm that diagnostics undertaken on Red Cadeaux at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre at Werribee this afternoon show the horse has sustained a fracture to his medial sesamoid in his left fore fetlock. The horse is comfortable with his leg in a splint and the fracture is stable. Dr Chris. Whitton from the University of Melbourne advised that the injury is not currently life- threatening, however the horse will not race again. Dr. Whitton stated that a plan to repair the injury is being formulated in consultation with other world-leading equine orthopaedic surgeons. He further advised that he is not planning to undertake surgery tonight, noting that the horse is comfortable and that there are several options being considered to treat his injury. Trainer Ed Dunlop confirmed that Red Cadeaux would be retired and that the connections will be doing everything in their power to ensure that the horse makes a full recovery. At this point in time a further update will be provided on Wednesday afternoon.”

Red Cadeaux’s stablemate, G1 Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris, fared the best of the British raiders, finishing fourth.

“The slow tempo mid-race didn’t suit him,” explained Trip To Paris’s jockey Tommy Berry. “He would’ve liked it a bit more mid-race but I thought I was the winner at the top of the straight, but he didn’t show the same turn-of-foot as he did [when second] in the Caulfield Cup. The winner had me cold straight away and that probably dented his confidence.”

The Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Kingfisher (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) checked in 16th and 19th, respectively, and rider Brett Prebble said of Bondi Beach, “[He is a] lovely horse. His style of racing left him flat-footed in the finish and it was just all too much for him too quickly.”