Racing: Dreams come true with winning Brew

By MIKE DILLON and AGENCIES

Mike Moroney hoisted the Melbourne Cup high over his head and declared that he was the world's greatest believer in dreams.

"Three and a half years ago I dreamed I won the Melbourne Cup with Brew," said the Matamata trainer after the gelding's victory at Flemington yesterday.

Which would not be sensational - but for the dream occurring six months before Brew was bought to race in the Moroney stable.

Brew, owned by a syndicate of New Zealanders including Moroney's brother Paul, stormed home to lead a Kiwi triumph in the $A3 million ($3.85 million) race, which brings Australia and New Zealand to a halt.

New Zealanders wagered $6.7 million, $100,000 short of the record gambled two years ago. About $5.4 million was paid in dividends.

Second Coming, another Moroney horse with co-owners from Brew's syndicate, finished third. A stone bruise suffered by Second Coming almost certainly cost Mike and Paul Moroney, Phillip Lindberg and Gerard Peterson the cup quinella.

Mike Moroney's wife, Jane, confirmed that her husband had laughed about his dream of Brew winning the cup over breakfast the following morning.

"The freaky thing was I even dreamed he won it in a black cap."

Moroney's black and blue stable colours carry a red cap, but Brew wore a black cap to take yesterday's Foster's Melbourne Cup to distinguish him from more fancied stablemate Second Coming.

Brew's breeder, Graham de Gruchy, said from his Hawkes Bay home that he would celebrate the victory with a few brews of his own. The horse had been passed in at the Karaka auction three years ago, and buyers in Australia were equally uninterested. Mr de Gruchy eventually brought the horse back from Australia at considerable expense.

Brew later started winning races and was sold for $110,000.

Mr de Gruchy said due respect and recognition would now be given to Brew's dam, former Japan Cup winner Horlicks. His sire was the great Sir Tristram, from Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge stud. Brew's success represented the sire's third win in the Melbourne Cup.

After Brew had increased Sir Tristram's roll of group one winners by one, Sir Patrick visited the horse's grave.

"As soon as he went across the line I headed for the grave and put a couple of nice deep red roses on and dwelt there for a few moments."

Brew's stirring win perhaps makes a filly by Zabeel out of Horlicks born at Sir Patrick's stud last week the most valuable bit of horseflesh in New Zealand.

"I've said she's worth at least three-quarters of a million dollars, and now she'd be worth that plus."

Brew was also born with great expectations because of his royal bloodlines - but greatness has been a long time coming. He was born with a temperament problem and disgraced himself early in his life, having to be withdrawn from the yearling sales after he injured himself. His waywardness led to his owners sacking him. New owners sent him to the Matamata stable of Mike Moroney, where his attitude saw him gelded.