As it was an upset Melbourne Cup 2012 result, the Lloyd Williams-owned Green Moon bouncing back after their Cox Plate failure to claim Australian racings’ greatest prize, below the team at Races.com.au take a look at where the favourites in the ‘race that stops a nation’ finished up.
#1 Dunaden ($7F) – 14th
The defending Melbourne Cup champion had the right lead-up form having won the Caulfield Cup last start but after nearly falling at the start and with their big 59kg top-weight the French champ could only manage to finish 9.8 lengths away 14th having never looked a threat.
“He had too much weight and he’s now a weight-for-age horse that is better left at 2400 metres,” Duanden’s jockey Craig Williams said.
#2 Americain ($7.50) – 11th
Winner of the Cup two years back, this year Americain failed to finish off and despite having settled nicely just better than mid-field the champ went to the inside and couldn’t get a clear run when needed eventually crossing 6.5 lengths away 11th.
#8 Mount Athos ($7.50) – 5th
The best finisher of the single-figure chances, the Luca Cumani-trained European raider had a nice run throughout and was far from disgraced when crossing only three lengths off the runaway winner and just a long neck off the fourth placed Kelinni.
#4 Red Cadeaux ($9.50) – 8th
Connections were hoping it would be second time lucky for last year’s runner-up, and while the form suggested they could be competitive, there was 5.7 lengths between this horse and the Melbourne Cup winner this year.
Other notable Melbourne Cup chances that were disappointing in the end included the Dermot Weld-trained Galileo’s Choice ($16) who was 20th past the post, 2010 runner-up Maluckyday ($17) who crossed over 11 and a half lengths away 19th, Cumani’s other runner My Quest For Peace ($18) was six lengths away 10th and Lights Of Heaven ($20) who was up on the pace early but couldn’t finish off the two miles when eventually running 16th.
Meanwhile Australian Derby winner Ethiopia ($21) produced the most disappointing Melbourne Cup result of all crossing a distant, distant last beaten over 63 lengths.
Trainer Pat Carey will keep his fingers crossed running the lightly-raced Helenus four-year-old in the big race at just their ninth start wasn’t the wrong move entirely after the Cox Plate fourth place-getter pulled up with an abrasion to his near-side hip.
“I hope he’s Okay,” he said.
Missed out on backing the Melbourne Cup winner in 2012? Finish the Melbourne Cup Carnival on a high with Crown Oaks Day and Emirates Stakes Day still to run this Thursday and Saturday.
For all the best spring racing odds visit bookmaker.com.au – home of the Australian-first Pick Your Own Odds markets.
2012 Melbourne Cup Finishing Order
| Place | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | GREEN MOON (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Brett Prebble | – | 5 | 53.5kg | $20 |
| 2 | 11 | FIORENTE (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse | James McDonald | 1L | 2 | 53.5kg | $31 |
| 3 | 3 | JAKKALBERRY (IRE) | Marco Botti | Colm O’Donoghue | 2.25L | 19 | 55.5kg | $81 |
| 4 | 24 | KELINNI (IRE) | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | 3L | 10 | 51kg | $19 |
| 5 | 8 | MOUNT ATHOS (IRE) | Luca Cumani | Ryan Moore | 3.2L | 8 | 54kg | $7.50 |
| 6 | 13 | GLENCADAM GOLD (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 3.95L | 7 | 53.5kg | $41 |
| 7 | 16 | MOURAYAN (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Hugh Bowman | 4.7L | 3 | 53.5kg | $26 |
| 8 | 4 | RED CADEAUX (GB) | Ed Dunlop | Michael Rodd | 5.7L | 18 | 55.5kg | $9.50 |
| 9 | 21 | PRECEDENCE (NZ) | Bart Cummings | Blake Shinn | 5.9L | 20 | 53kg | $101 |
| 10 | 17 | MY QUEST FOR PEACE (IRE) | Luca Cumani | Corey Brown | 6.1L | 1 | 53.5kg | $18 |
| 11 | 2 | AMERICAIN (USA) | Alain de Royer Dupre | Damien Oliver | 6.5L | 12 | 58kg | $7.50 |
| 12 | 7 | CAVALRYMAN (GB) | Saeed Bin Suroor | Frankie Dettori | 7.5L | 6 | 54kg | $31 |
| 13 | 6 | VOILA ICI (IRE) | Peter G Moody | Vlad Duric | 7.8L | 13 | 55kg | $101 |
| 14 | 1 | DUNADEN (FR) | Mikel Delzangles | Craig Williams | 9.8L | 16 | 59kg | $7F |
| 15 | 18 | NIWOT | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 9.9L | 15 | 53.5kg | $71 |
| 16 | 20 | LIGHTS OF HEAVEN (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 10.65L | 17 | 53kg | $20 |
| 17 | 5 | WINCHESTER (USA) | John Sadler | Jamie Mott | 10.85L | 22 | 55.5kg | $61 |
| 18 | 9 | SANAGAS (GER) | Bart Cummings | Nicholas Hall | 11.25L | 4 | 54kg | $51 |
| 19 | 15 | MALUCKYDAY (NZ) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jim Cassidy | 11.65L | 9 | 53.5kg | $17 |
| 20 | 12 | GALILEO’S CHOICE (IRE) | Dermot K Weld | Patrick Smullen | 11.75L | 11 | 53.5kg | $16 |
| 21 | 22 | UNUSUAL SUSPECT (USA) | Michael Kent | Glyn Schofield | 11.85L | 23 | 53kg | $151 |
| 22 | 23 | ZABEELIONAIRE (NZ) | Leon Corstens | Craig Newitt | 12.05L | 24 | 52kg | $51 |
| 23 | 19 | TAC DE BOISTRON (FR) | Michael Kent | Olivier Doleuze | 13.3L | 21 | 53.5kg | $101 |
| 24 | 10 | ETHIOPIA | Pat Carey | Rhys McLeod | 63.3L | 14 | 53.5kg | $21 |
