Melbourne native Lloyd Williams has made it his life's mission in racing to dominate the A$6.2-million G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup, and on Tuesday the 76-year-old became the winningest owner in the 134-year history of 'The Race That Stops A Nation' courtesy of his German import Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who notched him his fifth Melbourne Cup trophy–and third in the last 10 years–when besting Irish shipper Heartbreak City (Fr) (Lando {Ger}) by a head in a thrilling stretch battle. It was 4 1/4 lengths back to favoured Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) in third.
Williams isn't the only one who has built up an impressive record in the Melbourne Cup. The late great German sire Monsun was supplying his third winner in the last four renewals, following Fiorente (Ire) in 2013 and Protectionist (Ger) in 2014. He didn't entirely miss out last year, either, being the damsire of runner-up Max Dynamite (Fr) (Great Journey {Jpn}).
Tuesday's victory marked the second Melbourne Cup win for both rider Kerrin McEvoy and trainer Robert Hickmott.
“How lucky am I? The elation is unreal,” said McEvoy, 16 years removed from his first Melbourne Cup win aboard Brew (NZ). “He has been well prepared and he traveled well. All we needed was a good run. The more I looked at it before the race, the more confident I got. It's a great buzz to get the job done. He's a great little horse. He's had his troubles along the way, but he's been very well handled. It's a dream come true. I love the Melbourne Cup.”
Tuesday, Flemington, Australia
MELBOURNE CUP-G1, A$6,205,000, VRC, 11-01, Open Handicap, 3200mT, 3:20.58, Good.
1–&ALMANDIN (GER), 52.0, g, 6, by Monsun (GER)
1st Dam: Anatola (GER) (SW-Ger), by Tiger Hill (IRE)
2nd Dam: Avocette (GER), by Kings Lake (USA)
3rd Dam: Akasma (GER), by Windwurf (GER)
O-N C Williams, Mr & Mrs L J Williams, B N Singer, P Mehrten,
A L & B A Green, J & Mrs F Ingham, V Sammartino & M
Gudinski; B-Gestut Schlenderhan (GER); T-Robert Hickmott; J-K
Mc Evoy; A$3,805,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Older Male &
GSW-Ger, 12-5-3-1, A$4,152,191. *Full to Atempo (Ger), GSW-
Ger. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A++.
2–Heartbreak City (FR), 54.0, g, 6, Lando (GER)–Moscow Nights
(FR), by Peintre Celebre (USA). (€15,000 RNA HRA '15
GOFNOV) O-A Shiels, Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock P/L
(Mgr: D Dance), Here For The Craic Partnership (Mgr: D
Gavigan), N Reilly, M J Casey, Miss S K Downie, Waggun Synd,
D P McLennan; T-A D Martin; J-J Moreira; A$900,000.
3–Hartnell (GB), 56.0, g, 5, Authorized (IRE)–Debonnaire (GB),
by Anabaa (USA). (45,000gns yrl '12 TAOOCT) O-Godolphin;
B-Rabbah Bloodstock Limited; T-J A O'Shea; J-J B McDonald;
A$450,000.
Margins: HD, 4 1/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 10.00, 18.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Qewy (IRE), Who Shot Thebarman (NZ), Almoonqith (USA), Beautiful Romance (GB), Exospheric (GB), Pentathlon (NZ), Big Orange (GB), Grand Marshal (GB), Oceanographer (GB), Bondi Beach (IRE), Grey Lion (IRE), Jameka, Excess Knowledge (GB), Our Ivanhowe (GER), Sir John Hawkwood (IRE), Adjusted (IRE), Gallante (IRE), Secret Number (GB), Wicklow Brave (GB), Curren Mirotic (JPN), Rose of Virginia (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
The road to Williams's milestone Cup win has not been a smooth or cheap one. After winning in 1981 with Just A Dash and 1985 with What A Nuisance, Williams's Cup fever was ignited, and the owner admitted to having purchased about 40 European imports between 1986 and 1989 with Cup aims, and he continues to lay out plenty of cash with hopes of standing in the winner's enclosure at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November. Four of the 24 horses in this year's Cup donned his blue and white colours.
Williams won the Cup again in 2007 with the Kiwi-bred Efficient (NZ), but didn't taste success with a European import until Green Moon (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) saluted in 2012.
Williams reflected that at the beginning of his Melbourne Cup quest his team didn't understand how the Northern Hemisphere imports needed to be handled, and Almandin has certainly been the beneficiary of a tried and tweaked programme. Originally trained in France by Jean-Pierre Carvalho, Almandin was coincidentally purchased by Williams after besting last year's Melbourne Cup winner, Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), in the 2014 G2 Grosser Preis Der Badischen. While Protectionist would continue down a smooth pathway to Flemington, it took Almandin a little longer to get there. Off the track for two years after his Badischen score due to a tendon injury, Almandin checked in sixth in his Australian debut in a Moonee Valley handicap June 18, and filled the same position while trailing in last in a Flemington handicap Aug. 6. He improved marginally to be fifth in a handicap back at Moonee Valley Sept. 3, and relished the step up to 2400 metres to win Caulfield's Listed Harry White S. by two lengths Sept. 24, and made it a double in Flemington's 2500-metre G3 Bart Cummings S. Oct. 2.
Given a month's rest off that prep and let go at 10-1 on Tuesday, Almandin broke smoothly from barrier 17 and was guided to the inside by McEvoy as the field raced past the stands for the first time with Excess Knowledge (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) winning the battle for the early lead from Almandin's stablemate Assign (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Japanese challenger Curren Mirotic (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Big Orange (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}). The G1 Caulfield Cup-winning mare Jameka (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) rode the rails about seven lengths off the lead rounding the first turn, while favoured Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) was hung three wide about a half-length off her and Almandin sat one off the fence slightly worse than midpack. Excess Knowledge was overtaken approaching the halfway mark by Godolphin's Secret Number (GB) (Raven's Pass), who quickly made up about five lengths under Stephen Baster to pull his way to the lead. That pair remained in close quarters through hot early fractions that gave hope to Almandin near the rear of the field and Heartbreak City just a few lengths to his good. Secret Number led by about a length turning for home but was quickly swamped as Hartnell, who was forced to travel wide throughout, made his move down the middle of the track. Although courageous, the blazed-faced bay never looked safe as Almandin and Heartbreak City came roaring down his outside in tandem from the back of the pack as Jameka folded. Heartbreak City hit the front slightly in front of Almandin at the 300 metre mark, and Almandin slowly ground his rival down in the final furlong to win by a head in a thriller. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), owned in partnership with Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Williams's son Nick, was the next-best of the Williams colourbearers across the line in 13th, followed by Assign (19th) and Gallante (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) (20th).
Williams, who owns an increasing number of horses in partnership with the Coolmore partners and whose colours were carried to third in this year's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe by Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), was not alone on the winner's podium on Tuesday, either. Williams added a number of partners to join in the fun with himself and Nick after Almandin's Bart Cummings score, including Brian Sing, co-founder of Rip Curl; Alan Green, founder of Quicksilver; and John Ingham, son of Australian racing and breeding legend Bob Ingham and brother to Debbie Kepitis, co-owner of the now legendary mare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). Ingham is also a part-owner of 2-year-old champion Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) and was also involved in the 2014 G1 Cox Plate winner Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with Coolmore.
“We went into a couple of horses with Nick [Williams] to try and win the Cup but this horse wasn't doing too well–Lloyd wouldn't put us in a horse that wasn't doing well–so we came out and after he won The Bart Cummings and clinched a Cup spot, they asked us to come back in and share a bid for the Melbourne Cup,” Ingham told Racing.com.
Irish trainer Tony Martin was already planning a return trip in 2017 for Heartbreak City in the aftermath of the race. “The emotions were very high,” Martin said. “I gave him all the pushing and shoving I could from the stands, but, unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Everything went to plan, everything was great, it's just a pity we didn't have somebody to tow us into the straight a little bit further. Other than that, everything went well–I couldn't be happier. If we have to lock him up until next year, he's coming back here next year, all being well.”
Trainer John O'Shea was upbeat about the performance of Hartnell. “I'm extremely proud of him,” O'Shea said. “He was wide for much of the race and he still put himself into it. He's had a wonderful preparation and the team have done a fantastic job to get him to where he is.” Rider James McDonald added, “He got into a good rhythm down the back, he just runs a bit too freely for a two-mile race. But he's a good galloper who gave it a good crack.”
The Godolphin colours were also carried home fourth by the Charlie Appleby-trained Qewy (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}), who had won the G3 Geelong Cup Oct. 19, and Appleby said, “Qewy's gone and run the race of his life. We came here without even being in the race, we won our way into the Melbourne Cup and we've done well. We've also learned a lot and we'll be back with a bigger team next year.”
Pedigree Notes…
Almandin becomes the much-publicised third Melbourne Cup winner in four years for his champion sire, and his 22nd Grade/Group 1 winner overall (click here for an Andrew Caulfield column in Tuesday's TDN on Monsun).
Almandin is the third produce of Anatola, a 2400-metre listed winner in Germany. She was mated to Monsun her first three seasons and her first foal was Atempo (Ger), winner of the G2 Cologne Gerling Preis over 2400 metres. He was followed by Attalos (Ger), a two-time winner over 2100 and 2800 metres, and her fourth produce, Ardeola (Ger), by Monsun's accomplished son Manduro (Ger), won four times at up to 2500 metres. Anatola's most recent progeny are the 2-year-old colt Tang Dynasty (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was placed in Ireland this year for Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners, and the yearling colt Appalachian (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). Anatola is a half-sister to Monsun's G2 Preis der Diana-German Oaks winner Amarette (Ger), whose progeny include the stakes-winning Amazona (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}). The G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen-German 2000 Guineas winner Aviso (Ger) (Tertullian) appears under the third dam. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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