Irish raider Twilight Payment has led the Melbourne Cup field to the line to win Australia’s biggest horse race for trainer Joseph O’Brien.
Key points:
- Lloyd Williams has won his seventh Melbourne Cup as an owner and Joseph O’Brien his second as a trainer
- O’Brien’s father Aidan missed out again, with his young horse Tiger Moth finishing less than half a length back, with Prince of Arran in third
- Aidan O’Brien’s other horse — the 2019 English Derby winner, Anthony Van Dyck — was euthanased after fracturing a fetlock in the straight
Equal favourite Tiger Moth, trained by O’Brien’s father Aidan, finished second, with Prince of Arran placing for the third consecutive year.
Twilight Payment was running in his second Melbourne Cup, after finishing 11th last year.
Jockey Jye McNeil took Twilight Payment right to the front from the start, keen to make the Cup a fast-run race — and he succeeded.
By the 1,000 metre mark, Twilight Payment and the Chris Waller-trained Finche led the rest of the field by six lengths, and they still were one-two at the final turn.
Twilight Payment was not headed in the straight, despite a great late run from Tiger Moth in just his fifth start.
The eight-year-old won by 0.4 of a length from Tiger Moth, with Prince of Arran a further 0.2 lengths back in third.
He became the first horse since Might and Power in 1998 to lead all the way in Australia’s most famous race.
The success means Lloyd Williams has now won seven Melbourne Cups as an owner.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank Joseph O’Brien, Mr Williams, and the whole family for the opportunity today,” 25-year-old Victorian McNeil told Channel Ten after the race.
“I’m absolutely stoked I could pull it off.
“There’s too many emotions … it’s a very big moment.”
He paid tribute to his partner Jess and son Oakley, who was born in August.
“Jess and the boy, Oakley, will be watching from home today, and unfortunately they couldn’t be here … but I’m sure them, along with a lot of people, will be very proud,” he said.
O’Brien senior still to taste Cup success
It is the second Cup victory for 27-year-old trainer Joseph O’Brien, who won with Rekindling in 2017.
His win means that O’Brien’s father, Aidan O’Brien, is still waiting for a win in the Melbourne Cup after two decades of trying.
Tiger Moth had only had four previous runs, including a second in the Irish Derby. If successful, the horse would have had the least amount of starts for a Cup winner since Martini-Henry who won on a second start back in 1883.
Aidan O’Brien’s other horse in the race, Anthony Van Dyck, broke down in the finishing straight and was pulled up with 350 metres to go.
The 2019 Epsom Derby winner was later found to have broken a fetlock, and was euthanased.
Last year’s winner, Vow and Declare, finished back in the field in 18th.
Horsham horse Surprise Baby had late support and started favourite, but finished mid-field in 13th.
The Cup was unlike any other in the event’s 160-year history, with racegoers banned due to coronavirus restrictions.
Only trainers, jockeys and strappers and racecourse workers were allowed on track.
