MELBOURNE - While the city was nursing its Melbourne Cup hangover, winning trainer Graeme Rogerson and assistant John Sadler were back at Flemington by dawn yesterday supervising owner Lloyd Williams' team at trackwork.
Cup hero Efficient swapped the Flemington grass for the sand of Altona beach in the
city's west where he waded in the shallows under the watchful eye of Williams.
But for Sadler and Rogerson it was business as usual.
Well, almost.
"My feet haven't touched the ground yet," Sadler said.
"I spoke to Lloyd this morning, I speak to him early every morning but ... I think he was wild with me for being up.
"He said 'what are you doing ringing me at this hour'. I thought I might have been annoying him but he thought I should have still been in bed. It's about the only day he thought I should still be in bed."
Williams hosted his Melbourne Cup party at his old stamping ground, Crown Casino.
Rogerson, who does not drink, was the designated driver while Sadler enjoyed a few beers.
"Just Crown Lagers, as many as we could get in," Sadler said.
"Last night was sensational because the emphasis was placed on the staff.
"It was all about them and they just had an absolute ball. They're all still drunk this morning and just walking on air."
At 67, Williams' days of partying are over, but he was reported to have enjoyed the night as much as anybody.
"He doesn't drink anymore, he was on mineral water all night. It was all right for us, we were getting ourselves sloshed," Sadler said.
"He was just standing back and soaking it all in. He was just so happy and he got the biggest kick from seeing all the staff enjoy themselves."
The famous Melbourne Cup trophy also made an appearance.
In past years, winning connections have filled it with an array of alcoholic beverages and literally made a cup out of the Cup but as Rogerson says, "that's not Lloyd's style".
While the human components of Team Williams were savouring the Melbourne Cup win, the horse who did all the work was enjoying a well-earned rest at his stable.
Efficient tucked into a feed of his own and wasn't taking visitors.
"Last night we went down to give him a pat, he just snarled at us and said 'piss off and let me eat'," Sadler said.
"He has got an attitude, he thinks he's good."
After Tuesday, so does everybody else.
- AAP
