Shocking has won the 2009 Melbourne Cup in front of Irish imports Crime Scene and Mourilyan with jockey Corey Brown winning his first Melbourne Cup.
Coming into the final 200m, Shocking and Crime Scene took off away from the pack to battle it out head to head in the last 150m but Shocking proved to be the better horse in front of a crowd of over 102,000 people.
“Last year was very disappointing but I’ve got it,” said Brown.
“I’ve finally won the Melbourne Cup…my dream has come true, I can’t describe it, it’s unbelievable.”
Equally as excited was Shocking’s trainer Mark Kavanagh who for a while didn’t think his horse would be first across the finish line.
“He was travelling and I thought he can’t keep going…but he was the superior stayer of the day,” said Kavanagh.
“I didn’t expect to win it, it hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The race started with Mourilyan as predicted, coming out of the stalls slow and with the strong wind hitting the horses head on, none were keen to leave the pack.
Shocking started out wide with Warringah taking the lead along with Fiumicino, Gallions Reach and Zavite following closely.
At the 1400m mark, Shocking maintained a wide position while 2008 Melbourne Cup winner Viewed was caught mid field.
Coming around the home turn, the speed increased with the pack tightening up at the 300m mark before Shocking began his plight to win.
Crime Scene’s courageous second place comes after the horse had a fading finish in the closing stages of the Geelong Cup.
Carrying just 51kg, Shocking kept a slow pace early on during the race but managed to finish three quarters of a length in front of Crime Scene which was a length in front of Mourilyan.
Jockey Corey Brown is now the first Victoria Derby/Melbourne Cup double winner since Steven King in 1991.
2009 Melbourne Cup Final Results:
1. SHOCKING
2. Crime Scene
3. Mourilyan
4. Master O’Reilly
5. Harris Tweed
6. Alcopop
7. Viewed
8. C’est La Guerre
9. Kibbutz
10. Newport
11. Daffodil
12. Munsef
13. Gallions Reach
14. Leica Ding
15. Ista Kareem
16. Allez Wonder
17. Capecover
18. Basaltico
19. Zavite
20. Spin Around
21. Roman Emperor
22. Fiumicino
23. Warringah
