2011 result

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Green Moon Wins Melbourne Cup for Australia
06/11/12

1 Green Moon 19/1
2 Fiorente 30/1
3 Jakkalberry 80/1
24 ran Distances: 1l, 1¼l, ¾l
TIME 3m 20.45s
Jockey: Brett Prebble
Trainer: Robert Hickmott

Green Moon, trained by Robert Hickmott and ridden by Brett Prebble, won the Emirates Melbourne Cup for Australia as a strong-looking European team was left largely disappointed.

Green Moon

The Marco Botti-trained Jakkalberry fared best of the foreign raiders in third, but was some distance away from the accomplished winner.

Green Moon, formerly trained in Berkshire by Harry Dunlop, flashed past the long-time leader Glencadam Gold a furlong and a half from home under an assured Prebble and went on to beat Fiorente into second.

"It's the pinnacle of racing in Australia," said the winning jockey.

Fiorente
© Racehorse Photos

"I've had some great highs here, but you don't get any higher than reaching the pinnacle. If he sustained the journey, nothing was going to go with him.

"It's very emotional and it's going to last for a long time."

Nick Williams, son of victorious owner Lloyd Williams, said: "It's terrific. I'm so proud for all of our team at the farm.

"It's another Melbourne Cup win for 'Team Williams'. We've put a lot of money in and a hell of a lot of effort so to get this result is terrific. I'm so excited and so happy for all our people."

Marco Botti was left to rue a lack of pace in the Melbourne Cup after his charge Jakkalberry finished third.

The Newmarket handler's charge fared best of the Europeans in the race, with Luca Cumani's Mount Athos fifth and Ed Dunlop's Red Cadeaux back in eighth place after a stop-start gallop to the 'race that stops a nation'.

Botti said: "He ran a very good race, but he probably could have done with the pace being a bit quicker. He stayed on very well. It's been a fantastic adventure and I knew I'd left a bit of improvement in the horse."

The trainer added: "I had him at his best today. He's got an invitation for the Japan Cup and we can also think about Hong Kong, but we'll see how he comes out of this first. There's also Dubai and we'll think about coming back next year."

Cumani echoed the thoughts of Botti when assessing Mount Athos' display.

He said: "Today's race was totally inconclusive because of the lack of pace. He was further back than we would have liked. Ryan started to move him forwards but he got bumped. He was the fastest finisher in the race."

Mount Athos' owner, Dr Marwan Koukash, who has lit up the press conferences with his boundless enthusiasm, said: "I'm a bit disappointed but he ran a big race. He would have liked a better pace but he finished like a train. Hopefully we can have a similar campaign and come back next year."

Ed Dunlop also felt 2011 runner-up Red Cadeaux, who stayed on for eighth, was hamstrung by a weakly-run encounter.

He said: "About 15 jockeys will tell you that there was no pace. He had to drop in anyway, but he just couldn't make up the ground."

David Redvers, racing manager for Dunaden's owners, Pearl Bloodstock, said: "He won so well in the Caulfield Cup that it might have taken the edge off him. He's probably got too much weight in handicaps and he'll stick to Group races from now on."

Emirates Melbourne Cup (GROUP 1)
3200m $6,000,000
24 ran