MELBOURNE CUP:DERMOT WELD'S Profound Beauty couldn't provide the trainer with a third Melbourne Cup triumph in the early hours of yesterday morning but the Irishman's influence on "the race that stops a nation" was still obvious as the French star Americain powered to a resounding success at Flemington Park.
The internationalisation of Australia’s most famous sporting prize that gathered pace after Vintage Crop’s famous Cup triumph in 1993 reached something of a crescendo yesterday as Americain and jockey Gerald Mosse swept to victory.
“This is a truly international event,” said one of Americain’s part-owners, Gerry Ryan. “It’s a win for a US bred, French-trained horse, ridden by a Hong Kong- based French jockey with Australian owners.”
Such a prospect would once have had Australia’s most famous trainer Bart Cummings shaking his head in disapproval but even the 83-year-old legend conceded that Americain was the best horse on a day where the local superstar runner, and hot favourite, So You Think could only finish third.
It was Maluckyday who chased Americain home but there was an authority to how the winner swept clear that precluded any dispute.
Americain’s globe-trotting career has been rejuvenated in France in 2010 after he failed to fire in America the previous year and after victory in the 150th Melbourne Cup he will now be sent to Hong Kong for an appearance in next month’s Group One International Vase.
His trainer, Alain de Royer-Dupre, has struck in Hong Kong before but yesterday was a first Cup experience for the Chantilly- based training maestro, a multiple champion in France with a pair of Arc de Triomphe victories to his credit. “I was very confident before the race and Gerald gave a very good ride,” said the 66-year- old who, like Weld with Media Puzzle in 2002, used the Geelong Cup as a prep for the big event.
Godolphin’s Holberg was next best of the eight-strong overseas challenge in sixth and Frankie Dettori blamed rain-softened ground for that. However, it was a better show than Profound Beauty who finished 17th of the 23 runners.
The Irish mare broke slowly under Pat Smullen and never made any significant progress from the rear. “She got too far back, not by design, but that happens sometimes,” Weld said afterwards. “That’s racing, but full marks to the winner.”
Despite the cosmopolitan nature of Americain’s profile though, there was an unmistakably Gallic feel to the success and the course commentator got it right at the line – “Americain – Tres Bien!”
