Twilight Payment Captures Melbourne Cup As Mcneil Sparkles | 2 | Wednesday, November 4, 2020
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STEVE MORAN WE MOVED HEAVEN AND EARTH TO HAVE INTERNATIONAL CUP RUNNERS - AND NOW WE ARE PAYING THE PRICE - PAGE 17 Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here Twilight Payment (right) RACING PHOTOS What's on Twilight Payment Metropolitan meetings: Launceston (TAS) Race meetings: Grafton (NSW), Kyneton (VIC), Kilcoy (QLD), Port Lincoln (SA), captures Melbourne Avondale (NZ) Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Warwick Farm (NSW), Grafton (NSW), Mornington (VIC), Cup as McNeil sparkles Mortlake (VIC), Toowoomba (QLD), Port Second O’Brien father-son quinella marred by fatal injury to Lincoln (SA) Derby winner as McEvoy cops record whip fine International meetings: Sha Tin (HK), Lingfield (UK), Nottingham (UK), Kempton But the event was marred by a fatal fetlock BY ANDREW HAWKINS | @ANZ_NEWS (UK), Dundalk (IRE), Greyville (SAF) injury to last year’s Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m oseph O’Brien led home his father Aidan 4f) winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo), the in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) for Cup’s fifth racing-related injury resulting in the second time in four years yesterday death since 2013, while Kerrin McEvoy, aboard as Twilight Payment (Teofilo) held off runner-up Tiger Moth, received an Australian JTiger Moth (Galileo) under a sensational record whip fine of $50,000 and a 13-meeting Jye McNeil ride, giving owner Lloyd Williams a suspension as Racing Victoria stewards made historic seventh success in the race that stops good on their threat to heavily penalise overuse the nation at Flemington. of the crop. Continued on page 2>> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Twilight Payment captures Melbourne Cup as McNeil sparkles | 2 | Wednesday, November 4, 2020 << Continued from page 1 The news overshadowed what will Plaudits for McNeil at first Cup ride be remembered as one of the toughest Melbourne Cup wins the contest has seen in its 160-year history, with McNeil’s ride sure to go down in the annals of history as an all-time great performance. Sent off at 25-1 in one of the strongest fields assembled for the $8 million feature, Twilight Payment (8 g Teofilo - Dream On Buddy by Oasis Dream) became the first horse to lead past the post on both laps since Might And Power (Zabeel) in 1997, while it had not been achieved before that since Lord Fury (Edwardsii) held on to score in 1961. “I’m overwhelmed with emotion at the moment, it’s a miracle,” McNeil said before returning to an empty grandstand, the absence of the usual acclamation from 100,000-odd spectators trackside an eerie reminder of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s been a lifelong dream to get this moment and to get this winner is very surreal. I’m not worried about the Jye McNeil RACING PHOTOS (empty) grandstand at all.” However, those jockeys who did not have a ride in the Cup made sure Jumping from gate 12 in the field of 23, McNeil was positive on to give him a reception to remember, cheering him Twilight Payment, ensuring that he led as they joined up with the course in as he walked through the famous Flemington proper the first time around. archway: “There’s a few mates down by ramp Past the post on the first occasion - as racecaller Matt Hill implored and a few in the mounting yard, and that’s what the millions of viewers and listeners around the country to “Give them makes the moment. That’s what it’s all about.” a cheer, Australia!” - the order was the same as it would be after another lap was completed: Twilight Payment led Tiger Moth by a length at a solid YESTERDAY'S RACE RESULTS - PAGE 22 tempo. Continued on page 4>> Dam Good Purchase DREAM ON BUDDY dam of TWILIGHT PAYMENT MELBOURNE CUP, Gr. 1 sold Tattersalls December Mare Sale by Jockey Hall Stud to BBA Ireland for 240,000 gns Next Sale: December Breeding Stock Sales his 3/4-sister in foal to PROFITABLE 23rd November - 3rd December by NEW APPROACH is Lot 1618 Jenny McAlpine Tel:+61 411 504803 in this year’s December Mare Sale [email protected] www.tattersalls.com Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Plaudits for McNeil at first Cup ride | 4 | Wednesday, November 4, 2020 << Continued from page 2 Unlike last year’s race which Twilight Payment led at a slow, even farcical, pace, McNeil produced a masterclass in riding a free-bowling stayer, a shrewd effort at odds with his inexperience as a Melbourne Cup rookie. “That’s exactly what Joseph wanted, to be at the head of the field and really get them chasing because what he lacked in class he makes up for in his staying ability,” McNeil said. “I had to be positive as he was a little bit slow into gear. He jumped with them but he was a touch slow to really Melbourne Cup RACING PHOTOS find his rhythm. “I encouraged him to go forward and that was the plan and then he Cup. From Chicquita Lodge to the 400 metres, McNeil slowly increased found just a lovely tempo. He got into a fantastic rhythm, breathing really the tempo on Twilight Payment, with 50 lengths from first to last at the 800 well and then it was a matter of amping the tempo up at the right stage.” metres. At that point, with Finche two lengths in arrears, the Irish gelding The 25-year-old had the field stretched out over 25 lengths by the time had eight lengths to spare over Tiger Moth and Etah James (Raise The the pack had reached the 2000-metre mark and began the trek alongside Flag), racing third and fourth. the Maribyrnong River. While it appeared a strongly-run race to the eye, Visually, logic - both scientific and anecdotal - dictated that the leader with Twilight Payment putting four lengths on Tiger Moth by the 1700 had to come back to the field. Horses don’t win Melbourne Cups in that metres, it was in fact McNeil’s measured sectionals from the 2000 metres manner. Clearly, given the manner in which McNeil had managed to string to the 1200 metres that set up his victory. out the field, there was no way he could sustain that sort of performance. By the time the field had He was a sitting shot. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT reached halfway, Finche Except, unlike 12 months ago, there were only a handful of chances JOSEPH WANTED, TO (Frankel) had moved up to turning for home. Unlike that sit and sprint race shape of the 2019 Cup, it second at the hindquarters of was visually apparent that only a few contenders could land one of world BE AT THE HEAD OF the leader, with Kerrin McEvoy racing’s greatest prizes. THE FIELD AND REALLY adopting a patient approach on Tiger Moth continued to track up strongly behind the speed, The GET THEM CHASING Tiger Moth. Chosen One (Savabeel) was travelling like a bull and Jamie Kah, on Prince - JYE MCNEIL This created one of the Of Arran (Shirocco), looked poised to pounce as the popular British visual spectacles of the 2020 gelding chased a fairytale first win. Continued on page 6>> Follow us @anz_news | 4 | Brought to you by ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 17-19 NOVEMBER ONLINE SALE (ENTRIES CLOSE WEDNESDAY 11 NOV) It’s never been easier! • User friendly design • Edited pedigrees • Global database of clients looking to invest • No hidden fees, no passed in commissions • Full catalogue available on Equineline • Customisable tabs for sellers Buy and sell with confidence! www.magicmillions.online Plaudits for McNeil at first Cup ride | 6 | Wednesday, November 4, 2020 << Continued from page 4 For horses further back than midfield, using all of my might, it was a though, it would have taken a physics-defying performance to defeat the matter of hanging on and he was I WAS TRYING TO leader; fancies like Sir Dragonet (Camelot) and Verry Elleegant (Zed), who very tough. It was very surreal USE MY VOICE TO flashed home from well back, would have had to break 11 seconds for one crossing the line.” ENCOURAGE HIM AS of their final three 200-metre splits to take the spoils, and that would have Tiger Moth surged into MUCH AS POSSIBLE come on the back of a stamina-sapping run in which they had already second but could not get - JYE MCNEIL spent plenty of energy just to get within striking distance. closer than a long neck under In the end, though, it was Twilight Payment who was - quite simply - three-time Cup winner Kerrin the superior stayer. Having put three lengths on Finche at the 400 metres, McEvoy, while the Charlie Fellowes-trained Prince Of Arran joined Red it was a case of which horses would emerge from that handily-placed Cadeaux (Cadeaux Genereux), Sarcherie (Archery) and Shadow King bunch to take him on. (Comedy King) as a three-time Melbourne Cup placegetter without taking However, passing the 300 metres and then the 200 metres, the chasers home the gold. had hardly made the inroads necessary to catch the leader. Tiger Moth was “You can’t be gutted running third in the Melbourne Cup. I’m not surging, along with The Chosen One, but passing gutted at all,” Fellowes said. “I’m incredibly proud of him. I felt we got our the clock tower they appeared the only two run stopped at a really bad point in the race and the way he was running potential dangers - and an excitable home at the end, it wouldn’t have had to be too much further and we McNeil realised that his lifelong dream would have given Twilight Payment something to think about.