Verry Elleegant upset Incentivise to win the Melbourne Cup, clawing back the overwhelming favourite in the final stages to take a comfortable four-length victory.
The so-called “race that stops a nation” had been devoid of fans last year because of the Covid restrictions, which were partially lifted to allowed 10,000 spectators into Flemington racecourse.
It was a fair cry from the 100,000 usually in attendance as Incentivise set out to become only the 12th horse to win both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year.
But in the £4.25million race, Verry Elleegant’s jockey James McDonald timed his push for the line to perfection to give trainer Chris Waller, who was absent from the racecourse, his first victory in the prestigious race.
Incentivise had to make do with second while Spanish Mission, trained by Briton Andrew Balding, was third. It was a race short on the numbers of usual overseas entrants with another, last year’s winner Twilight Payment, unable to do more than finish 11th with the leading weight.
Following his victory, jockey McDonald said: “I never thought I would ever win one [Melbourne Cup]. I always dreamed of winning one but it’s so hard to win.
“We’ve been along for the ride for too many seasons now. This has cemented her place at up the top of those real top horses because what she’s done over the years, some seven furlongs to 3,200m. To win one of the biggest races in the land, it’s just incredible.
“A dream come true, When I went for home, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was thinking ‘where’s the post?’
“She travelled so sweetly in the run for such a big way. She is trained by a master, he gets them right. She is a superstar and I’m so proud of her.”
