Melbourne: Rekindling stormed home to win the Melbourne Cup by a long neck on Tuesday, overhauling Johannes Vermeer near the finish to give trainer Joseph O’Brien a victory over his famous father in Australia’s most famous race.
Max Dynamite was two lengths further back in third to give the Irish a 1-2-3 finish in the 157th running of the 2-mile classic.
Joseph O’Brien said one of the first things he did was phone his father, Aidan O’Brien, who trains Johannes Vermeer but was not at Flemington for the race.
“He is delighted. Unbelievable,” the younger O’Brien said. “I’m just so thankful to [Williams]. They suggested to bring [Rekindling] down and that he’d have a good chance in the race and his prep went really good, and Corey gave him an unbelievable ride.”
It was a second Melbourne Cup victory for jockey Corey Brown, and a sixth for owner Lloyd Williams, who is also a co-owner of Johannes Vermeer.
“It’s extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary,” Williams said of Joseph O’Brien, who won in his first attempt at the Melbourne Cup. Williams said the 24-year-old former jockey had a big future as a trainer. “He’s going to emulate his father and maybe more.”
Big Duke was the first Australian-trained horse across the line, finishing fourth, in a field containing 11 foreign horses.
British-based jockey Frankie Dettori rode 2016 winner Almandin, which finished 12th.
The four-year-old colt, a 14-1 shot, roared home in the final straight of the 3,200-metre handicap, reeling in master trainer Aidan O’Brien’s Johannes Vermeer to clinch “the race that stops a nation” by half a length.
“I’ve spoke to [my dad] and he’s delighted,” Joseph O’Brien said.
Rekindling’s win gave jockey Brown his second Melbourne Cup win after he rode the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking to victory in 2009.
The Australian said it was a nice reward after having to fight for rides during a lean patch between his Cup wins.
“I can’t believe it,” the 41-year-old said, celebrating with his wife and three daughters.
“It’s a dream to just ride in the race, but to win it again, I’m just lost for words.
“I just felt a little bit left out, I’d lost my spot, just chipping away trying to get back to where I was. I’m just starting to feel the love now.”
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Cismontane made the early running but it was the two O’Brien-trained horses that muscled their way to the front as they turned into the straight.
Johannes Vermeer, ridden by Ben Melham, moved first and bolted clear as the terraces roared but was unable to hold off a furious finish from Rekindling.
Rekindling continued Ireland’s fine Melbourne Cup record since the Dermot Weld-trained Vintage Crop raced away with the 1993 trophy and became the first winner prepared outside Australia and New Zealand.
It was a powerful Irish assault on Tuesday’s race, with six in the field of 23 groomed by the country’s trainers.
Mullins-prepared Thomas Hobson finished sixth, steered by 18-year-old apprentice jockey Ben Allen, who was a late replacement for Joao Moreira after the Brazilian suffered a fall in an earlier race at Flemington.
Local businessman Lloyd Williams extended his record to six Melbourne Cups as an owner, having celebrated his fifth with winner Almandin in last year’s race.
