Racing: Plodder brews up perfect run

By MIKE DILLON

Brew, the former plodder and sex maniac, yesterday destroyed some of the world's finest stayers in the $A3 million Melbourne Cup.

The royally bred Brew (Sir Tristram-Horlicks) would have ended his racing career as the winner of only a maiden race had he not been gelded.

He started his racing career in the O'Sullivan stable, only 300m from trainer Mike Moroney's establishment in Matamata, but owner Graham De Gruchy, for reasons of tax, had him on his books as a stallion prospect. He had a pedigree to dream about, but that was never going to happen.

He could not perform well enough on the racetrack to establish his credentials as a stallion, with his mind clearly on sex rather than racing.

"Graham was told by the O'Sullivans the horse had to be gelded and Graham decided to sell him," said part-owner Paul Moroney, who operates as a bloodstock agent.

"He was taken to Sydney by the O'Sullivans and when he paraded before the races he was so distracted, not only the fillies and mares had appeal to him, he was even eyeing up some of the geldings."

Moroney said it took only two hours to geld Brew after buying him for a syndicate of owners for $120,000 as a spring 3-year-old.

Mike Moroney yesterday declared he had never lost faith in Brew, despite the horse having the reputation as a plodder of only moderate class in Melbourne.

"He was incredibly slow maturing and we'd have to keep turning him out in the spelling paddock each time he'd hit the wall," he said. "But gradually we could put more and more pressure on him as he got stronger."

The win was a triumph for Victoria Racing Club chairman Andrew Ransdon, who shares the ownership with Paul Leaming, Paul Moroney, Gerard Peterson, Craig and Phillip Lindberg, Richard Pegum and Berri Schroder.

Paul Moroney gave up Craig Lindberg at the press conference.

"Craig will be out seeing his bookmaker right now," said Moroney. "He had a huge Diatribe-Brew, Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double.

"Much more than his stake in the ownership, I can tell you that."

The winners' share of the stake was $A2 million.

That bookmaker would not have been the only one feeling sorry for himself after Brew's victory. The Kiwi was one of the best-backed runners on track.

He opened up with most bookies yesterday at 20-1 before some big bets and a torrent of public support saw him plummet to as low as 10-1 an hour before the race.

He started at 14-1 with most bookies and while a the result was better than if favourites Diatribe and Kaapstad Way had won, the bagmen were still left licking their wounds after the race.

New Zealand punters, however, paid for their loyalty. Brew's dividend on the New Zealand TAB was considerably less than in any of the Australian states.

The winning rider, 20-year-old Kerrin McEvoy, admitted the win had not sunk in. The former Adelaide youngster, who Mike Moroney holds in high regard, was delighted that his parents and his grandfather were on course to see him in his first Melbourne Cup ride.

McEvoy landed the ride late on Saturday night when several leading riders, including Chris Munce, had turned the opportunity down.