Rookie Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien beat his famous father Aidan O’Brien when Rekindling won the Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington today.
Rekindling, above, wins the 2017 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Winning jockey Corey Brown gave Rekindling the perfect run through the two mile test and drove the lightweight past the higher weighted Johannes Vermeer to record his second win in Australian’s most famous race after winning on Shocking in 2009.
The Willie Mullins trained Max Dynamite tried valiantly in the straight to fill another Melbourne Cup minor placing in third position after finishing second to Prince Of Penzance two years ago.
The placings of Rekindling, Johannes Vermeer and Max Dynamite made it an all Irish trifecta for the 2017 Melbourne Cup.
Brown settled Rekindling in the middle of the pack from barrier four and started to move forward from the 800m mark and worked into the clear shortly after heads were turned for home.
Ben Melham shot Johannes Vermeer to the front at the 250m and was looking the winner but the weight difference was the telling factor in the end and the Northern Hemisphere three year old proved too strong with his light weight at the end of the 3200m.
The win of Rekindling gave prominent Victorian owner Lloyd Williams his sixth Melbourne Cup win and he also shared in the ownership of the runner up Johannes Vermeer.
Williams also made it back to back Melbourne Cup wins after his horse Almandin won the ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’ last year.
The twenty-three year old Joseph O’Brien was thrilled to win his first Melbourne Cup and said he would love to come back to Australia again next year.
“Thanks to Mr Williams for suggesting to bring him down. He said he would have a good chance in the race,” O’Brien said.
“His prep has been really good and Corey gave him an unbelievable ride. The lads that are down here with him has done a terrific job.”
“He had a very lightweight and Corey gave him a great ride. The whole run went so well for him.”
“Lloyd (Williams) has been a big supporter of mine and have sent me some lovely horses.”
Brown said that he was keen to chase the ride on Rekindling who he knew would get a light weight in the Melbourne and the plan came to fruition today.
“My manager and I chased the ride about six weeks ago,” Brown said.
“Obviously with the lightweight I thought I would be a big chance of getting on him.”
Rekindling was always around the $15 mark in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup while Johannes Vermeer was more fancied at $13 while third placegetter Max Dynamite went to the post as a $20 chance.
Hugh Bowman’s mount Marmelo was sent out as the $7 equal favourite but failed to run the distance to finish ninth while last year’s winner and equal favourite Almandin wound up in twelfth position.
2017 Melbourne Cup Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | REKINDLING (GB) | Joseph O’Brien | Corey Brown | – | 4 | 51.5kg | $15 |
| 2 | 7 | JOHANNES VERMEER (IRE) | Aidan O’Brien | Ben Melham | 0.4L | 3 | 54.5kg | $13 |
| 3 | 9 | MAX DYNAMITE (FR) | William Mullins | Zac Purton | 2.9L | 2 | 54kg | $20 |
| 4 | 13 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | Darren Weir | Brenton Avdulla | 5.65L | 5 | 53.5kg | $21 |
| 5 | 18 | NAKEETA (GB) | Iain Jardine | Glyn Schofield | 6.4L | 19 | 53kg | $41 |
| 6 | 21 | THOMAS HOBSON (GB) | William Mullins | Ben Allen (a) | 8.65L | 20 | 52kg | $21 |
| 7 | 4 | TIBERIAN (FR) | Alain Couetil | Olivier Peslier | 9.15L | 22 | 55.5kg | $31 |
| 8 | 17 | LIBRAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Dwayne Dunn | 9.65L | 7 | 53kg | $61 |
| 9 | 5 | MARMELO (GB) | Hughie Morrison | Hugh Bowman | 9.75L | 16 | 55kg | $7EF |
| 10 | 12 | WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) | William Mullins | Stephen Baster | 10.5L | 8 | 54kg | $71 |
| 11 | 6 | RED CARDINAL (IRE) | Andreas Wohler | Kerrin McEvoy | 11.25L | 23 | 55kg | $16 |
| 12 | 2 | ALMANDIN (GER) | Robert Hickmott | Frankie Dettori | 11.45L | 14 | 56.5kg | $7EF |
| 13 | 24 | CISMONTANE (NZ) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Beau Mertens (a) | 12.2L | 17 | 50kg | $41 |
| 14 | 23 | AMELIE’S STAR | Darren Weir | Dean Yendall | 12.95L | 10 | 51kg | $21 |
| 15 | 15 | BOOM TIME | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Cory Parish | 13.95L | 9 | 53kg | $31 |
| 16 | 20 | WALL OF FIRE (IRE) | Hugo Palmer | Craig Williams | 15.45L | 15 | 53kg | $11 |
| 17 | 19 | SINGLE GAZE | Nick Olive | Ms Kathy O’Hara | 15.85L | 11 | 53kg | $31 |
| 18 | 14 | US ARMY RANGER (IRE) | Joseph O’Brien | Jamie Spencer | 16.15L | 21 | 53.5kg | $71 |
| 19 | 3 | HUMIDOR (NZ) | Darren Weir | Blake Shinn | 16.65L | 13 | 56kg | $11 |
| 20 | 1 | HARTNELL (GB) | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 28.65L | 12 | 57.5kg | $26 |
| 21 | 10 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Glen Boss | 30.15L | 6 | 54kg | $31 |
| 22 | 8 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Michael Walker | 31.4L | 1 | 54kg | $71 |
| 23 | 16 | GALLANTE (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Michael Dee | 99.9L | 18 | 53kg | $91 |
