Jye Mcneil riding #6 Twilight Payment celebrates winning race 7, the Lexus Melbourne Cup during 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington. Photo / Getty Images.
Jye Mcneil riding #6 Twilight Payment celebrates winning race 7, the Lexus Melbourne Cup during 2020 Lexus Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington. Photo / Getty Images.
This year's Melbourne Cup is done and dusted with Irish Gelding Twilight Payment leading from start to finish, followed by Tiger Moth and Prince of Arran.
Kiwi horse The Chosen One finished in fourth place, but one of the pre-race favourites Anthony van Dyck was loaded into an ambulance atthe end of the race after breaking down on the home straight.
3:20pm: Francesca Cumani isolates in the middle of the Melbourne Cup
Racing identity Francesca Cumani has been forced into isolation after her father Luca Cumani recorded a positive test for COVID-19.
Cumani, one of the racing world's biggest stars, was unable to return to Australia for the 2020 Melbourne Cup as a result of border restrictions.
Channel 10 announced last month the daughter of the famed trainer would still be part of Ten's coverage despite remaining in the UK.
Ten's broadcast took another hit on Tuesday with Cumani forced to appear on the coverage via Zoom because she was forced into isolation following her father's test result.
She did her first live cross to Ten's Melbourne studio from her dining room.
"Coronavirus is the reason why Francesca Cumani can't join us in Australia this year for the Melbourne Cup. But it hit home even more seriously overnight when Cesca's dad was diagnosed with COVID-19 and she was put into isolation," Ten sports presenter Stephen Quartermain said.
Cumani told Ten her father appears to be relatively healthy despite his concerning diagnosis.
"As you can see a different setting here. I am at home and isolating now," she said.
"He (her father) is, thankfully, so far, OK. He just had a bit of a sore throat and felt a little bit down, so he got a test and it did come back positive. As a result, we've all very much just shut down. My mum is still feeling OK and thankfully, so far, so good."
2.50pm: Race 4 - The Macca's Run result
Sin To Win has snapped an 898-day drought with a thrilling win in the 2800m The Macca's Run at Flemington.
It had been 898 days since the Ben Hayes trained horse last won.
The horse was a rank outsider, paying $34.50 for the win, but stormed home ahead of Pride Of Jenni (second), Ripper Rita (third) and Sweet Reply (fourth).
Finance Tycoon was the first horse to taste victory today, galloping to a win in the Darley Maribyrnong Plate.
Second was Ingratiating, third was Marine One and fourth was Treporti.
11.30am: Legendary trainer slams Victorian government
There's been early drama at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day with one of the internationals scratched from the race.
King of Leogrance, a member of trainer Danny O'Brien's army of runners, has been pulled out after a veterinary inspection revealed he was lame in his off foreleg.
Iconic trainer Gai Waterhouse has also lashed out at Victorian Premier Dan Andrews as she voiced her disgust at spectators being banned from attending because of Covid-19 restrictions, accusing authorities of "completely" over-reacting.
"It's quite ridiculous really, the way they've gone on in Victoria," she told 2GB's Ben Fordham. "The Premier there should wake up and let people go on with their business.
"By all means social distance … but you can't have the country cut off at the knees!"
Flemington is without trackside fans this year due to Covid-19. Photo / Photosport
10.30am: Straight from the horse's mouth - King Of Leogrance 'breaks silence'
"I'm 100 percent devastated to miss out on the Melbourne Cup," the horse said*.
"I love pulling on the number 14. It is a privilege to race in Flemington and a privilege to be selected to represent France.
"As an athlete and competitor, I pride myself on performing no matter how my body feels but I also accept the veterinary staff have my best interest at heart in making this decision.
"I'll be cheering loudly from stable and will be working tirelessly to earn my place back in the race next year."
* If King of Leogrance could talk, we'd imagine this is what he'd say.
10.15am: King of Leogrance out of the Cup
We'll have a 23-horse field in today's race after Racing Victoria stewards announced King of Leogrance as a late scratching.
Owner Nick Williams said the gelding presented with a pulse in his foot.
"I feel terribly disappointed for Danny (O'Brien and his team), who have looked after this horse since he has been down there. They put their heart and soul into it.
"They would have gone to bed last night thinking they were taking a horse to the Melbourne Cup and to get there this morning and find him with a pulse in his foot would be terribly disappointing for them more than anyone."
Veterinary Information: King of Leogrance has been scratched from the Melbourne Cup (Flemington Race 7) at 7.38am by the Stewards acting on veterinary advice. The horse was inspected by RV veterinarians upon request of the stable and was found to be lame in its off fore leg.
They're already considered two of the best chances to win the race and Anthony Van Dyck and Tiger Moth can go about their business in relative peach and quiet.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown, who has backed Anthony Van Dyck to win the race, said the empty racecourse was a huge advantage for the international raiders.
"This goes for all the European horses – they're getting a big benefit from the fact there's no crowd," Brown wrote for foxsports.com.au. "Quite often they can get very stirred up by the big atmosphere on Cup Day, and can lose their race before it's run. That won't be the case for the Covid Cup." Six-time Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams agreed, saying it would be of extra benefit to inexperienced horses like betting favourite Tiger Moth.
"They've played into his hands this year. There's no crowds there, so for an inexperienced horse he's not going to face 100,000 people in the mounting yard," Williams told RadioTAB.
"If (jockey Kerrin) McEvoy gives him a good ride, he'll be hard to beat. I'd love to own him.
"Provided nothing goes wrong with this horse over the next 12 months, you'll hear a lot of him."
9am: Clear Melbourne Cup favourite emerges
Tiger Moth. Photo / Getty
A late betting plunge has seen Tiger Moth emerge as a standout favourite for the Melbourne Cup.
Despite a rough barrier draw, connections of the lightly-raced international have convinced punters he's the real deal.
Tiger Moth blew out from $6.50 to $9 when the barrier draw was revealed, but the Irish raider has since bounced back into punters' good books and is the shortest-priced favourite in the race at $6.50.
Anthony Van Dyck was the favourite for most of Sunday night and Monday morning but has pushed out to $9.50 and Surprise Baby is now second favourite at $9.
Six-time Melbourne Cup winning owner Lloyd Williams believes Tiger Moth is "the perfect horse".
Racing expert and presenter Francesca Cumani agreed, saying he is "impossible to ignore".
"He will have plenty of supporters in the Cup because he has the ideal profile of being a lightly raced northern hemisphere three-year-old with a good VC and light weight (52.5kg)," she said.
He's not among the top contenders but the other big mover in the market is Twilight Payment, who has shortened from $41 to $21 and is currently Ladbrokes worst result.
