Well, that's it.
Hartnell looked set. The favourite, 600m to go, had only the straight ahead of him. But then came Heartbreak City. And then, soon thereafter, Almandin.
The most memorable battle played out over the last 400m as those two went at it till the post, gaining ground on the pack by the stride. Almandin found the line first in a thrilling finish.
$11.80 was the price for the Lloyd Williams winner, the fifth time he’s triumphed as a Melbourne Cup owner spannning three and a half decades. Kerrin McEvoy, the jockey, gets his second after a gap of 16 long years.
Hartnell stuck at it to finish third, the trifecta worth $1500 and the first four some $24,000 helped by Qewy’s more generous quote.
And that, my friends, was the 2016 Melbourne Cup. Over 97,000 turned out to Flemington for the Race that Stops a Nation. And let’s not pretend otherwise, the footprint of this event only grows by the year.
Thank you for your good humour and company through the course of the last seven and a half hours. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ll see you all from Perth with the cricket Test Match of the Australian summer in a couple of days. Until then, be well.
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Artistry wins the lasts. Another from out wide, in keeping with the pattern of the day. Paying $6.90 for those trying to salvage something in the get out of jail stakes, or invested in the quaddie. That’s our lot at Flemington!
Davey Warner has been popping up all day on the commercials for the TV he is currently help flog. With that in mind, time for a cross promo of my own? Why not. The Test Match cricket is back from Thursday in Perth. Indeed, I am flying there soon as we’re done with this. The Guardian’s Over-by-Over live blog will be running throughout the summer to keep you company. Hang out with me on there, Thursday from 1pm AEDT.
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A bit more on last place-getter in the Cup, Rose of Virginia. Reports of an internal bleed after getting clipped during the race.
Flippant at healthy odds has won the penultimate race on the card by a long way. The third leg of the quaddie, if you had that - and the Cup at double digits with Almandin - you’re in for a monster pay day if the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes goes your way in about half an hour.
Remember what I said about preferring pics of politicians in the afternoon of Cup Day? Well. Here’s Julia Bishop. With former adversary Paul Howes. Nice work from the latter to get her to agree to this shot. #Sponsors #Product
The race that stops the nation pic.twitter.com/gEEk7etUR6
— Paul Howes (@howespaul) November 1, 2016
97,497 at Flemington today. Melburnians don’t miss out when something big is going on. Here’s Dr Turf’s take on SEN.
LISTEN | @Docturf is a proud Victorian today with the turnout of 97,497 @FlemingtonVRC https://t.co/6lTVwu8Bfk
— SEN 1116 (@SENNews) November 1, 2016
Lloyd Williams, five time Melbourne Cup winning owner. His story in racing; bite-sized.
Here’s the Gerard Whateley radio call. Courtesy of the ABC. “They come away at the clocktower! Almandin and Heartbreak City; Heartbreak City and Almandin! Stride for stride, 50 to go! Almamdin; Heartbreak City - nothing between them! Almandin has won it for Lloyd!” HE’S REALLY GOOD AT THIS.
LISTEN: The call and the interviews from @abcgrandstand's coverage of the 2016 #MelbourneCup https://t.co/jT8AaXII1m
— ABC Grandstand (@abcgrandstand) November 1, 2016
Almandin wins the Cup for Lloyd#MelbourneCup @abcgrandstand pic.twitter.com/cmtO4WyHwx
— Gerard Whateley (@GerardWhateley) November 1, 2016
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Channel Seven running a crass cross promo (never!) for a show they have on tonight. But I can’t let it pass by without noting Michael Klim’s best pick-up line. Or so he says. “How would you like your eggs in the morning? Fertilised?”
m8. Don’t.
How do they do this in the top end? Helen Davidson has been sending me updates from... well, I’ll leave it to her.
“I know this is the Melbourne Cup, but all the action is happening at Berry Springs Tavern, on the outskirts of Darwin’s rural area. Before we even start the croc races there’s drama. Showing off the prize runners to a scrum of eager media, one of the crocs decided to make a run for freedom, leaping out of the tub and sending reporters (not this one) jumping onto tables.”
What a world. And here’s the report from the other big race:
“The race you’ve all been waiting for has been run. Lightning storms and escapees couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Top End’s Melbourne Cup croc race. On the track - Mr Malcolm, Whinger, Tab, Mongrel, and Handbag. Mongrel and Mr Malcolm won the first two warm ups in an exciting speed-waddle to the outer hay bales. One, perhaps the same who sensed freedom earlier today, attempted a leap over the boundary to no avail.
Fashion In The Bush, shoes optional, provided halftime entertainment.
In the grand final, the wriggling mass of reptiles were held at bay by their Crocodylus Park handler as thunder rumbled overhead. The starting gun sounded, and they were off. Mostly. One needed a hurry up, which a barefooted, fascinator-wearing punter was happy to give, climbing over the bales to give him a nudge.
But it was Tab who brought it home for his sponsor, Belinda Harris, from Melbourne. I asked how the race compared to her home town. “Absolutely loving it,” she said. “This is awesome. I put on Facebook today: I’m at Berry Springs Tavern doing Melbourne Cup NT-style.”
And here’s the vision... check out this thread.
Final race, prize is a fishing trip for four. Won by Bat, sponsored by Belinda Harris. From Melbourne. #melbournecup #berrysprings pic.twitter.com/wqtEbTmlbi
— Helen Davidson (@heldavidson) November 1, 2016
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Watch those thrilling finals stages
A true match race after they went past the famous clocktower. We’ll be be talking about that finish for many years, I venture.
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Nice get here from Calla Wahlquist, who has been tireless with her updates and snaps all day long.
Kisses for the winner. #MelbourneCup #almandin pic.twitter.com/XI8Eb4FVaS
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
If you’re still in the quaddie after the Cup. Fabrizio has won the eighth comfortably. That’s Gai Waterhouse’s third winner of the day with two races to go. Smashed them by about four lengths, all told.
The report. How Mike Hytner saw the classic unfold from trackside.
Half a head. All it takes.
Oldie but a goodie. Now that the TV coverage is back to talking to celebs I’ve never heard of. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I couldn’t pick a Kardashian out of a police line up.
How the great race finished, in full. Not sure what happened to Jameka. Could do with a replay, come to think of it.
The final placings of the 2016 #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/MiclifjXKV
— FOX SPORTS News (@FOXSportsNews) November 1, 2016
Adelaide. It’s okay. From the wires:
“The race that stops a nation has lived up to its name in South Australia, with a trial adjourned and parliamentary question time rescheduled because of the Melbourne Cup. Jurors in a long-running fraud trial in the district court were let off at lunch time so they wouldn’t be distracted by the race and miss crucial evidence.
“It’s a question of concentration,” Judge Barry Beazley told the court in Adelaide on Tuesday. “It’s very, very important.”
Robert Hickmont the winning trainer. He’s up now to collect his mini Melbourne Cup. He’s pretty chuffed. Played a couple of games for Melbourne in the VFL back in the day. Now has a couple of Melbourne Cups.
Kerrin McEvoy gets trophy now. I reckon he’ll say a bit; 16 years between Cups. Actually, not really. But he’s happy, so I’m happy. “I’m looking forward to a beer after the last race.” Fair.
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A fella in need of some luck. Congrats, PM.
Congrats to Almandin for a great race. Hartnell came third but at least I won the office sweep! pic.twitter.com/IQmZRc8JZ4
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) November 1, 2016
Lloyd Williams gets handed the Cup. “We are in the sporting capital of the world,” says the GG, Peter Cosgrove. Too right. “Almandin deserves our admiration. This is a Cup to be proud of and a moment to remember for the rest of your life. You are the toast of Melbourne, of Flemington and racing.”
No one has owned more Cup winners. “I am a proud Melburnian and I can’t tell you how touched I am to be winning this race today,” says Williams. “I encourage all the people to go to Dubai on Emirates...” Righto, that’s enough mate.
How could I forget? Sweeps! Rose of Virginia finished last.
“One of the all time classics down the straight at Flemington,” declares Basil Zempalis, the MC of the presentation.
We’ll come back to that in a sec. But how about this photo? Joao Moreita, who was on Heartbreak City, gives McEvoy a pat on the back straight after the final post.
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For the punters. Almandin $11.80 the win, $4.40 the place. Heartbreak City gets you $6.20 the place and Hartnell $2.80. Gotta admit, I was talked into investing in Almandin. Most pleasing. Will bring you the trifecta, first four, et al as it comes to hand (i.e. as I find it on Twitter).
Mark O’Connor is critical of Dettori’s ride on Wicklow Brave, who started way out wide: “Another 20 or so Cup rides and Frankie Dettori might be able to win one. Just about high five him from my front yard.”
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From the clocktower on it was punch for punch with Almandin and Heartbreak City. Neither deserved to lose after they burned off the favourite Hartnell.
Oh how about the last 400 metres! Lloyd Williams has his fifth Melbourne Cup, Kerrin McEvoy has steered him home after winning on Brew in 2000. Brilliant prep, not carrying much. “It’s just a dream,” says McEvoy.
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ALMANDIN HAS WON THE MELBOURNE CUP
Extraordinary finish! Over Heartbreak City and Hartnell in a classic!
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Half way, a mile into this. Secret Number, Excess Knowledge, Curren Mitoric and Wicklow Brave. All the favourites sitting back, all in the race.
As they pass the winners post the first time. Excess Knowledge, Assign, Curren Mirotic and Big Orange the first four.
WE ARE AWAY IN THE 2016 MELBOURNE CUP
Go you good things.
Once last time, those favourites... as they move to the barrier
6- Hartnell (barrier 12). $6.
12 - Jameka (barrier 3). $8.50
20 - Oceanographer (barrier 11). $8.50
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What chances another woman winning the Melbourne Cup? Well, the odds would say little, but didn’t they say that last year? Katelyn Mallyon is introduced in the mounting yard to much literal fanfare, alongside the other jockeys, and gets probably the biggest cheer from the crowd, at least in the section I’m sat in. You get the feeling she’d be a very popular winner. And what a story that would be.
Dami Im has given the anthem an absolute belting. No big deal the 100,000+ audience, after coming runner-up in Eurovision back in May.
Another pre-Melbourne Cup tradition: the RBA interest rates decision! The Bank has held the rate at 1.5%. Boring. Remember when they cut rates on 2007 Cup Day in the middle of the election campaign? Controversy.
Enough of that to some relatively harmless nonsense - fashions from the field. Or, rather, fashions from the lawn. Not boring.
Payne is back in the colours of the Prince. She hasn’t got a ride today, but will present the Cup ahead of the race. The horses aren’t far away now. A bit of footage of the jockeys getting their silks on. 40 minutes until they jump.
Markets: Hartnell will be outright favourite – and has been since blitzing the Turnbull Stakes by the proverbial length of the straight. Jameka sits outright second, trying to become the first horse in 18 years to win the Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double. Oceanographer the third in single digits at the tote after bolting into the field with a win on Saturday’s Lexus, securing the final spot in the field.
Some other numbers to note on the way through, courtesy of Gerard Whateley’s preview.
The Godolphin stable has five runners here, Williams four. The former has never won a Cup, 18 years since they first started coming to Flemington. It’s perhaps their best chance yet, responsible for Hartnell, Oceanographer Geelong Cup winner Qewy.
The latter is an old hat, winning his first of four cups some 35 years ago. Bondi Beach is his most fancied, his second run in the Cup, now as a four year old. Almandin is also one of Lloyd’s, out in barrier 17 but liked with a light weight. Piloted by Kerrin McEvoy who won the race on Brew way back in 2000.
All told, ten are internationally trained. Ten are imports to Australia who started in Europe or Dubai. There are three Kiwis. And one out and out Australian, Jameka, who won last year’s Oaks as well.
Big Orange is the best two miler in England, the in form international raider. While Frankie Dettori, still striving for his first win here a couple of decades after first racing on the first Tuesday in November is on Wicklow Brave, albeit from the widest barrier.
What does it all mean? Who knows. We’re 25 minutes away with a national anthem ahead of us. Buckle up.
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Rachel Griffiths has been deployed to voice a montage. Bit of social commentary to begin: “It doesn’t matter where you come from, the race track and Flemington in particular is society’s great leveller.”
Then onto the Michelle Payne’s story. Hollywood couldn’t script it, says Rach. She’s right. “A year ago, I didn’t need to dream any longer,” adds Payne. Cue stirring footage.
“I just want to say everyone get stuffed, they say women aren’t strong enough but we just beat the world.” Unreal.
Celebs bein’ celebs. From the wire:
“Hollywood actress Elsa Pataky has donned a fascinator for the first time and happily slipped into a bright orange dress by Australian designers. The Fast and the Furious actress, married to Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, used her first Melbourne Cup to sample a Cappellazzo frock and says she was enjoying going local for the races.”
Cheers, Elsa. I better find a photo... here we go.
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Surely one of the nicest guys at Flemington racecourse today, Tony the steward, is claiming the rain won’t arrive, as he has worn his waterproof hat in preparation for just that. “I’m keeping it away.” Sadly, as he speaks the first drops arrive and the brollies go up. He’s still upbeat, probably having seen it all during his time at the Cup. He’s been here for “many years” and has witnessed three Makybe Diva wins. “It’s a memorable day,” he says. “Where else in the world do you get a public holiday to watch a horse race?” He leaves with a joke to ponder: “The races are the only time the windows clean the people.” Think he might be talking about the betting windows. Onya Tony.
UPDATE: Brollies down. Sun out. Bloody Melbourne weather.
Tony, a veteran of the #MelbourneCup and a thoroughly nice chap pic.twitter.com/QHAYIJYAsZ
— Mike Hytner (@mike_hytner) November 1, 2016
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“The race before the race,” as Bruce says. And they’re away in sixth. Wonderful finish again, Jennifer Lynn coming from off the screen in the last 300m to, I think, get over the line from very wide. Waiting for photos on all placings. Will that be the method taken in the Cup? Outside has been the strong side so far today. Jennifer Lynn gets the nod from the officials.
Bruce asks Simon O’Donnell to make sense of the rain radar. Fair enough given he is a cricketer, part of the code of conduct that you can read one of these things. “The blue stuff means that is rain.” Urgh. Thanks, Simon. Anyway, light showers seems the consensus. Here is that radar.
It is raining at Flemington
Worthy of a ‘key event’, is it not? Light rain, Bruce McAvaney says on the coverage. But the umbrellas are out. If you can’t tell, I’m highly interested in this development.
Mark O’Connor, who you may recall from ‘rules of the race’ earlier on tells me it is 40 years exactly since the wettest Melbourne Cup, Van der Hum triumphed that day. Check it out. I hope it goes torrential for the wild scenes on the grass that would surely follow.
Lloyd Williams on the telly. He’s won four of these Cups, so worth listening to. Has four in the race today; Bondi Beach (barrier 5), Gallante (2), Almandin (17), Assign (22). You can get $6 for one of Williams’ horses getting the win.
His take as a punter, though? He reckons it is a “10-1 the field sort of race... any one of a dozen can win it.” Pretty interesting.
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Glorious areas.
Forget your fascinators, grab some dice and get rolling for this #MelbourneCup board game from possibly 1900. https://t.co/qE4Q1YlMYI pic.twitter.com/nJKOmkqmOC
— National Library Aus (@nlagovau) November 1, 2016
Marking a place. A couple of emails asking when I’m going to give them a winner. It’s a bold play to follow me on this. But to the broader point: after the sixth at 2pm we’ll get stuck into some more substantial Melbourne Cup foreshadowing. With your help, of course. Think you go alright? Tell me how this is going to be run and won. Adam.Collins.Freelance@theguardian.com or @collinsadam.
Mike Hytner has been down at the betting ring though, taking in some intel:
There hasn’t been much late movement in the Cup odds today. “They pretty much settled on Saturday,” says Mark Filgate of bookmakers James Filgate. That means Hartnell is still the favourite with Jameka and Oceanographer around the $8 mark across the board. “They pretty much bet on everything,” according to Lynn and Crimmings, as evidenced by the mass of punters currently crowding round the bookies.
France’s former Davis Cup champ Henri Leconte is about. They keep coming back to him on the Ch 7 coverage. Presumably a cross promotion there somewhere. I did like his response to the quintessential ‘who dressed you’ query: “No one. I am French. I dress myself.” Too right.
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The foreign minister is out and about. From the wire:
“Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has turned heads at the Melbourne Cup, sporting a classy black look. Ms Bishop arrived with her partner David Panton outside the Emirates Marquee on Tuesday, wearing a black Hugo Boss dress with coloured details and a black wide brimmed hat with netting. Surprisingly, Ms Bishop placed her Armani black coat on the ground while she was posing for photos, and told the waiting media she is tipping Assign it the big race.”
Must admit, more interested in later afternoon pics of politicians at The Cup. Can guarantee they’ll get a run on these pages.
Speedeor! Wins the fifth, the famous Schweppes 1000. Biased Witness (strong name) and Hellbound (nod bad either) beaten home.
Some thoughts on the race. Coming in from reader Sam Branigan. He starts by telling me that he’s popped the previous three races from each horse into a proprietary spreadsheet model. Okay, I’m listening.
“I have came up with the following,” he says, adding that he’s also watched the internationals race on youtube. I watch old cricket matches. Horses for courses. See what I did there?
Sam continues: “In the Cup, the Japanese raider will brain them if it runs anywhere near its peak (its previous run at 3200m, in May, would’ve won any Melbourne Cup, EVER). It’s older than Brent Harvey though, so it might also be better suited to eventing. I’m headed to the pub.”
Thanks, Sam. Especially liked the Brent Harvey reference, for the AFL fans out there. Ten years since the Japanese horses went one-two. Still can’t believe I didn’t back Pop Rock given my dancefloor preferences.
More on the weather. A real point of interest. Ch 7 had it forecast to potentially start during the next hour. Mike has his backside trackside and isn’t so sure:
Weather update: the meteorology boffins reckon there is a 50-50 chance of rain falling during the Melbourne Cup, although there is still no sign of that just yet. And it’s actually quite warm out here in the sun. Wind may well be a factor too, although it’s not expected to blow too strong.
One of the many reasons I love my city.
Mike Hytner is excited. Under two hours now ...
After the ridiculousness (and embarrassment of getting turned away from one tent for not being handsome enough) of the Birdcage and back in the sanctuary of the Members Grandstand, there is a reminder of the real reason why we are here - the horse racing. Race four is complete, done and dusted in a flash of colour as the horses and their mounts speed past, eliciting a murmur from the crowd, which is only half watching to be honest. That will, of course, change come the main event, when everyone’s focus is on the track and the roar from the stands and the lawns as they come down the home straight really is something to behold. Just under two hours to go.
I can’t let that stand unchallenged. Mike is handsome.
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Melbourne Cup stories. That’s what I asked you for earlier. So it’s only fair that I share my own. The preamble to it as having a chip at the PM for his Cup tip. This will all make sense.
Mr Turnbull yesterday did what all politicians must and picked his winner. Or, as it happens, two - Bondi Beach for it is in his electorate and Hartnell because it won the Turnbull Stakes. The more cynical among us may say this is reflective of the PM’s predisposition for having several positions on matters of policy. And that he has form as well with sport.
Anyway, I don’t want to be nasty. All in good fun, Malc. Hope you are having a nice day.
So, to my story.
In 2009 I was advising the then-PM Rudd on, among other things, sport. So the process was went through and I landed on Shocking. He went on the radio the day before The Cup and backed that in, which was good of him.
The next day? Turnbull, opposition leader at the time, took a Newspoll lead over Rudd for the first time. Ever. Indeed, it was the first Newspoll Labor had trailed in since Rudd became leader in 2006, nearly three years earlier.
Rudd wasn’t happy with me. Shocking? His horse? On a Newspoll day? What was I thinking? It wasn’t entirely unreasonable, but I did encourage waiting to see how the race went.
As we know, Shocking bolted it in. The next phone call moments after the race was from Rudd to thank me for the tip. The political news that night did include the poll, but began with the PM picking the Cup winner for the second time in three years.
When I left his office some months later the brief was returned to me as a framed gift that you can see here. A pretty nice touch. So, there you have it: my Melbourne Cup story.
Here we have Calla’s latest dispatch from out the back.
It’s warm and sunny in the Park, which is handy, because it means the sun can glint off the face crystals that Ben Dniprowskji got up at 4am to painstakingly apply. It was totally worth it, he looks amazing. (His shoes were also sequinned; this is no day for half measures.)
This is Ben Dniprowskij. He started doing this makeup at 4am and looks fucking amazing. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/MXFerexbTw
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
The Park is essentially a corral for fashion people. (Not quite the same as fashionable people, who are gathered with my colleague Mike at the Birdcage). It contains the pavilion for Fashions on the Field as well as a number of fancy food stands. Almost everything is pastel. There’s a DJ dressed as a jockey rocking out to tunes ranging from The Weeknd to Bus Stop. He is dancing quite aggressively, using his riding crop as a prop. It’s not even 1pm.
Back to fashions, which are the point of the day. Pom-poms, according to one of the fashions on the field hosts, are definitely trending this season, which sounds like something you’d only say because your co-host is wearing pom-pom shoes and you want to make her feel better.
A judge offers some tips to the crowd:
You have to convey every single aspect of the look: the hair, the makeup, even the fragrance that you wear, although obviously we can’t smell it.
I must admit I failed to smell anyone when, but overlooking that fashion failure, here were some of my favourite looks from the crowd:
Justin Scott is dressed like an old-timey gentleman, jodhpurs, boots and all, but in pastels. I dig it. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/hJVDclwHT6
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
Stylin' family: Marial Manwan, 11, mother Nyanadong Mangar, and Makusc Mangar, 12. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/L2WKrgTYig
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
Gina Cassimatis in the best prints. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/Qcm1AR4bZG
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
Deb Parish and Cassandra Ambrose are both very ~textual~. Please note Deb's shoes. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/rT76i1tMsq
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
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They’ve jumped in the fourth. That was quick. And it’s already over, the favourite Demonstrate wins it over Sovereign Nation and Give us a Go. The third placed finisher gave the trifeca plenty of value.
I have a poser for you. Right, so the Melbourne Cup is the first Tuesday each November. We know that. The US election is the first Tuesday of November every four years. Right? That’s what I thought. Indeed, that’s what my dear colleague Geoff Lemon thought as well when booking flights home from the US for the 3rd of November. But WRONG. It is the first Tuesday in November excluding the first day of the month.
In turn, in 2016 Cup Day does not clash with that big old celebration of democracy in the US of A because today is, of course, 1 November.
My question: when was the last Presidential election that wasn’t on Cup Day? On one hand, this should be straightforward; go back eight. On the other... what about leap years? Help me out? Thanks.
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Horse loose on Oxford Street. Presumably this will mean there is more action down there today than there is on Saturday night nowadays. Zing!
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I saw Morrissey’s gig in Newcastle last night. He’d be pretty angry to know I was doing this today to make my living. No one tell him. Anyway, I mention that simply to acknowledge that I understand this is a difficult day for many people, and I respect those who are offering strong views to me on racing. Let’s all just hope that all the horses get through today without injury. I’m sure we can all agree on that.
Related: this, from across the road...
Meanwhile, across the road from the #MelbourneCup... pic.twitter.com/kHeqCXsnHB
— Melissa Davey (@MelissaLDavey) November 1, 2016
As they like to do at this time of year, the Macquarie wonks have released their quantitative analysis on who they reckon will win the Big One. And sure enough, they have the favourites as well.
Their other bit is good stuff though, where they assess the horse with the best value. From the ABC story:
So the quants have come up with a “value investor” index for those looking for horses that may have been mispriced by punters due to human behavioural biases.
On this basis, top of their tips is Assign, ridden by Katelyn Mallyon, the only female jockey in this year’s field.
It’s a roughie around 33-to-one, but Macquarie says the gender of the horse and its rider means it should probably be at shorter odds, what they’ve dubbed the “Prince of Penzance effect”.
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Off the wires, Michelle Payne mobbed. “Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne has been mobbed by fans and the media during an appearance at the Birdcage Marquees.”
Payne has two rides today, but isn’t going around in The Cup. Good interview with her with John Harms in the aforementioned Offsiders Cup preview from Sunday.
More weather with the TV reporter: “We have had a little bit of a wind change come through ... but still, that sun has got some bite to it.” I’m not going to link this, but youtube ‘Suns got some bite,’ for a sweary video.
She goes on: “We can see showers are approaching with a cold front coming out way. I expect that to come between 1 and 2pm, we are still dry till that point... it could be a wet running of the Cup.”
Rain! Yessss. Let’s take a tune from 1983, the year of Kiwi.
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Better than the alternative.
This is Ben Dniprowskij. He started doing this makeup at 4am and looks fucking amazing. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/MXFerexbTw
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
More from Mike, our Birdcage correspondent. I’d have paid good money to witness this. Scenes.
The Birdcage. Someone thought it was a good idea to put a luxury car inside one of the tents, which it was probably would have been had the car alarm not gone off, causing various glamorous types to spill espresso martinis and choke on their wasabi tacos or beef cigarillos. “Is that a real car?” one bystander marvels?
More here:
The beef cigarillos keep on coming round. I'm nearly beef cigarilloed out. Seriously #birdcage #melbournecup
— Mike Hytner (@mike_hytner) November 1, 2016
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Brilliant finish with Kimena coming from last to take them all as they lunged for the line five wide across the track. Photo for the placings. Let’s hope for something like that at 3pm.
Away in the third! Named after last year’s glorious Cup winner, it is the Prince of Penzance Plate. The fave Morning Mix is leading them around at the half way mark. Stand by for the result.
That office sweep we did before? I drew Bondi Beach. Pretty happy to be on something in single digits from Lloyd Williams. Very happy. Four starts since his last Melbourne Cup (ran 16th), for a couple of wins. Primed for this race, according to the excellent Offsiders preview from Sunday.
Here’s Richard Parkin with the draw. So serious. That’s the guy you want running the sweep.
More from the ‘Cage on Ch 7. Rob “Millsy” Mills is wearing a jacket made entirely of Melbourne Cup pins. You couldn’t make this up. He’s a sensational bloke, you know. Used to stand with us incognito at Hawthorn games singing songs and carrying on in the best traditions of standing room. That was until his cover was blown and we never saw him again. Incidentally, another who had a fair old Cup story many years ago.
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The Governor-General has arrived, as we see on the telly. Bruce doesn’t miss a beat: “Of course, there was a very famous speech from on Melbourne cup day GG many years ago.” Indeed there was, and here it is.
There is still an outright favourite, and that is Hartnell. They’ve loved it since the Turnbull win, thrashing second favourite Jameka, who in turn picked up the Caulfield Cup with a leg in the air. They call that form. It’d be the first Godolphin winner after 18 years of trying. Anyway, more on that later. We have time on our side.
Meanwhile, follow Calla’s day from Melbourne as well, doing fine work for us out the back.
Excellent fascinator and shoe game from Yasmin Abbas, Heba Ahmed, and Shwathy Ramesan. #MelbourneCup @collinsadam pic.twitter.com/OyhjVbNpEx
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) November 1, 2016
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The boss is back. Mike Hytner from Flemington.
Wandering into and around the racecourse this morning, you can’t escape the feeling that today really is a big deal. There’s a palpable anticipation in the air that this is a special event - earlier there was even a squadron of helicopters whizzing in and out on apparent airborne taxi duty, adding to the other worldly feel to it all. And I haven’t even checked out the Birdcage yet. Meanwhile, under the Hill Stand, queues for coffee are shortening, and the line for frozen cocktails increasing, ominously. Maybe it’s time to get along to the Birdcage.
Be sure to speak to the lad they are interviewing on Channel Seven at the moment from the ‘Cage. A Cup “ambassador” they say. It was never disclosed why he is a celebrity. Is he on Home and Away? I hope he’s on Home and Away.
Sort After from start to finish. Impressive. Gai Waterhouse wins the first two races of the day. Has Excess Knowledge in The Big One at 3pm for those who like that as an omen. Granted, it’s paying a million bucks. Maybe not so long now? “Gai hasn’t had two winners in the carnival since 2008,” Bruce informs us. “Excess Knowledge is shortening by the minute.” Yeah mate, I typed that before you said it.
They’ve jumped in the second. Sort After walking them around here. Licking his chest, as they say. Stand by for a winner. 500m to go.
As The Strokes sang: “I wish two drinks were always in me.”
Lindsay Fox just grabbed the bum of a photographer. The time is 11.18am. pic.twitter.com/rJPFPeUYYb
— Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) November 1, 2016
They’re in the yard at Flemington for the second. Sort After (I know; not a typo) is the fave. It’s a Gai Waterhouse horse, who was responsible for the winner in the first. Oh, scratch that, Model Dragon is actually the shortest price. That’s all I have for you as the Guardian Australia Sydney office Cup Sweep takes place behind me, with names being drawn from my (very Melbourne) black hat. This is what it’s all about.
Some corro from Paul Freeman. Thank you, Paul. “Following the Melbourne Cup from the office in North Sydney. The excitement builds here with the cases of booze being brought into the office.” I like the tacit case being made here for a national public holiday.
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Michelle Payne has arrived. Last year’s hero, winning on 100-1 pop Prince Of Penzance. What a moment.
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As they say on the internet: #NeverForget.
On this Melbourne Cup day, let us all remember this moment in Australian history https://t.co/GHHiOnNZbg
— Lane Sainty (@lanesainty) October 31, 2016
Back to what we’re good at. Stories. Yarns. As I said off the top, everyone has one from day. The time you won the trifecta and paid for a new car? The day you had a university exam that clashed (didn’t we all) and found a way to listen in anyway?
Former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe often tells his. When down on his luck in 1994 with barely a buck to his name he chucked too much cash on Doriemus and life turned around from there. Or something like that.
What about you? Let’s share.
Racing in the first! Thanks to Calla for the background from the yard. Madeenaty, the red hot favourite, was well placed at the 300m. But Invincible Star nabbed it from the outside rail, taking the lead just alongside the clocktower. So we have our first winner. Value, too, from a horse listed as an emergency before getting an entry this morning.
I’ve just come from the parade ground, where punters may watch the horses walk in circles and proclaim things like “that looks like a live one!” which is one of the things you should look for before deciding to place a bet on a race.
As one of my fellow spectators remarked: “they look right at you!”
It’s almost as if they are real live animals which are made to run very fast for a short period of time for the amusement of people in pinstripes and funny hats.
Most of the horses are helpfully wearing the details of their race number and barrier draw on their bridle, but if they don’t you can always creepily follow them around the ring and track them back to their stall. That is what I did with Amarela, a New Zealand mare that I would like to take home and feed apples.
Seriously she is beautiful and I love her. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/UoJ082lqgY
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) October 31, 2016
Amarela has drawn barrier six in race two and spent her time on the parade ground stopping to look at the crowd, walking in very small circles on the grass and generally making things difficult for her strapper, who was inexplicably not wearing socks.
Amarela is behind difficult so she has to walk in circles on the grass until she calms down. 💕💕 #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/VFJGClTERF
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) October 31, 2016
Also at the parade ground was Hard Faith, who was enjoying scratches from her strapper, and Madeenaty.
I found the ponies. This is Madeenaty. She is chewing her lead rope. She is a good girl. Race 1, barrier 1. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/AuoYHKtkZe
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) October 31, 2016
This is Hard Faith (race 1, barrier 11.) she likes scritches. #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/CzWJrPSWFy
— Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) October 31, 2016
They’re both running in race one, the 1km $150,000 Ottawa Stakes, and will attempt to beat Black Caviar’s record of 55.42 seconds. That race starts about 10.40am.
It’s a race for two-year-old fillies, which has itself become controversial: most equestrian disciplines won’t let horses compete until they’re at least four and thoroughbreds don’t develop their full bone density until they’re five.
One of the aims of the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses is to ban two-year-old racing, on the grounds that horses that young are more likely to sustain permanent injury.
My colleague Russell Jackson profiled the coalition’s founder, Elio Celotto, here.
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As they roll up for the first, the Ottawa Stakes, let’s have some visual stimulation to get the blood pumping.
You know what 2016 is? 20 years since Saintly went and won the bloody thing. We all learned a lot that day. Thanks to Darren Beadman, it was mostly about God. But fair enough, it was a Heavenly ride.
Let’s talk the race for a moment. Before returning to whatever it is what we’re going to do before the undercard begins.
I have a note in from reader Mark O’Connor. I admit, I know Mark. He has rules and codes for all sorts of things. Like Omar in The Wire, or Dexter in … Dexter.
So, sure enough, he has some rules for Cup Day as well. As I’ve learned over the years, they are more ~guidelines~ for the regularity in which they are broken. But I feel obliged to share the edited extract with you anyway. For he is a freak.
Per my four rules:
- 4, 5 or 6 year old
- must have had a run in Victoria pre-Cup
- has to have run exclusively in Victoria this campaign
- can’t have run in the Cup before
With that, there are only six qualifiers:
5 - Exospheric: only had one G1 run for an unplaced, he did beat Big Orange back in April but got beat by him a couple of runs later. Caulfield Cup run was pretty sound but 1kg from the top weights for a G1 maiden that has never been past 2400m is a bit much.
10 - Gallante: second to Jameka first up looks OK but nothing of note behind him, forgive Mooney Valley flop, but he’s not up to this.
12 - Jameka: Old school Cup prep, two very good WFA runs to open her up, flogged second-raters in Naturalism, cracking Turnbull run and then a dominant Caulfield Cup win. Not terribly badly weighted after the penalty, nice draw, lots of ticks. My tip.
18 - Assign: This time last year was getting around in a BM90. Form is OK for third-string stayers, but no.
19 - Grey Lion: Solid at Geelong but his best win is a 3YO SWP. If you like Oceanographer and Qewy, I guess you give him a chance.
20 - Oceanographer: I don’t think he beat much on Saturday. It looked impressive but he won’t get that much galloping room against 23 opponents and will see plenty of rump steak before he gets going. He’s progressive but it’d be a bit embarrassing if something like this could come here and win.
Jameka for me. Respect the Japanese, as always, but he hasn’t won for three years. Big Orange is class and well weighted for his record, could be the one to break the curse on the hit-and-run raiders.
Bondi Beach has only missed a place once, but they don’t often win if they’ve raced in this before. Hartnell isn’t a two-mile horse, lay all day. Don’t care how good Wicklow Brave is, the Butcher is back for his umpteenth poor Cup ride. Almandin is short for mine but can win. Godolphin have sent the wrong horses because Godolphin.
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Mike Hytner is at the track. Our fearless sports editor at Guardian Aus HQ has the fancy gig today. He has some weather, for those relying on this before heading to the TAB.
It’s teasing us at the moment with sporadic bursts of glorious sunshine finding their way through the light cloud cover that has crept in since a bright and crisp early morning. Will it hold? The real weather people reckon not and there remains a chance of a shower before the big race at 3pm. Which would be disastrous for fancy hats, but not so much for some of the field.
I love me a rainy Cup. Subzero in ‘92! Vintage Crop in ‘93! My childhood!
'Welcome, it is Melbourne Cup Day and how good is that?'
I can’t put it better than Bruce McAvaney, who has opened the TV coverage of the 2016 Race That Stops A Nation. And with that, we also commence the Guardian’s rolling coverage.
I’m Adam Collins, here to ride the full two miles with you. Or more accurately, the five hours between now and when they jump at Flemington, and well beyond as well.
We have correspondents and photographers at the track who will be feeding through all the the mail and hot takes you can possibly handle. And of course, our readers from around the globe. Tell me your story. Everyone has a Melbourne Cup story. You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine. How’s that?
Through our time together we’ll preview the Great Race in depth, with experts and mugs alike. It’s a democratic event the Melbourne Cup, it’s a people’s day. A day where everyone is entitled to pass themselves off as an expert. Relay your wisdom to me as well, so I can pass it onto the world and shift the market. I like to believe we have that power. Humour me.
So, it’s Adam.Collins.Freelance@theguardian.com for your more sophisticated missives. This, as I always say, confirms both my name and that I’ll write for anyone who pays me. For the sharper hits, @collinsadam finds me on the idiot machine.
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Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime, take a look at Michael Hutak’s preview of this year’s race.
