Racing: Watering no help to Kiwi superstar

You may not have heard the last of the track watering saga of the Melbourne Cup.

Amid intense media and public speculation, the Victoria Racing Club claimed its irrigation policy would provide a track suitable to all horses.

Many jockeys finishing behind Makybe Diva yesterday disagreed.

The included Michael Coleman who rode third-placed Xcellent, Weichong Marwing on South African stayer Greys Inn and Shinki Fujita on Caulfield Cup runner-up Eye Popper.

The criticism of the watering of Flemington will centre around whether it favoured Makybe Diva, who is known to favour cut in the ground and, if so, whether was that deliberate.

The official rating of Flemington at 6.30am yesterday was dead.

Course manager Terry Watson confidently predicted the footing would improve to good under yesterday's forecast 31C heat, probably by the time of the first race at 10.30. But the rating back to good did not come until after the Melbourne Cup.

Xcellent's owners were concerned before the race and jockey Michael Coleman later confirmed the footing had not suited Xcellent.

"I had a ride in Race 2 and it was on the worse side of dead then.

"When I came out in the Cup it was still very dead."

Fujita said of Eye Popper: "Grass too long. He raced better at Caulfield because the track was hard."

Marwing said Greys Inn acted only on very firm ground.

"He didn't handle it. But let the sun shine on the winner, she deserves it, she's simply awesome."

While unhappy with the track, Coleman was thrilled with Xcellent and said he could not wait for next year with the exciting gelding.

Xcellent, he said, should be even better than he was yesterday when he turned in a phenomenal finish to claim the A$375,000 third prize.

"Terrific effort,' was Coleman's first reaction.

"He pulled a shoe and pulled up a little short in his action. I don't know when he did it and it could have had some effect on his performance."

Coleman, who also finished third in 2000 on the Moroney-trained Second Coming behind stablemate Brew, went out with a plan to follow Makybe Diva if possible.

"At the 1200m I couldn't quite get on her back. I was hoping she would push the horses in front out of the way and I'd follow her around."

Coleman had to take Xcellent wide on the track on the home bend as Makybe Diva got a run through the middle.

"At the 200m I got past Leica Falcon and for a moment I gave myself a chance of picking up Makybe Diva, but she's just something else.

"It was only in the last 50m that On a Jeune flashed past him.

"He's got to be a stronger horse next year. He's dog tired right now."

Envoy, one of the other two New Zealand-trained runners, went a terrific race to finish seventh and pick up one of the A$110,000 incentive prizes. Bazelle finished 22nd.

Irish jockey Pat Smullen was sad after Vinnie Roe finished eighth.

"He pulled up very distressed and for 30 seconds I was very worried for him.

"But he recovered and seemed okay afterwards."

Smullen blamed the No 24 barrier draw in Vinnie Roe's last career run.

"I had no option to be further back than I'd have wanted. And when he gets back there he doesn't have the turn of foot to sprint at them."

Vinnie Roe tried hard on a wide run, but was outsprinted.

"This is the best horse I've ridden - it's sad to think I'll never sit on his back again."