Fiorente leads foreign brigade in Melbourne Cup

Another truly international version of "the race that stops a nation", the

Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington, delivered a thrilling finish Tuesday when

the first five across the line were bred overseas, confirming the recent shift

in the Australian classic where foreign raiders and hand-picked European

purchases have proven their mettle versus their Australasian rivals.

The Irish-bred Fiorente, second in last year's renewal to Green Moon, gave

Australia's first lady of racing, Gai Waterhouse, her maiden Melbourne Cup win

as a trainer and embattled jockey Damien Oliver his third triumph in the

two-mile fixture.

Fiorente broke well from barrier 5, and was tucked in only two paths off of

the rail about mid-field in the first trip down the historic Flemington stretch

with many of the more outside drawn contenders gunning for position and settling

down towards the front end. Ruscello led up the 24-horse field after starting

from the widest gate, with Waterhouse's other entrant, Tres Blue, and British

invader Brown Panther both following closely behind in second and third through

the first six furlongs.

Mount Athos, the eventual third- place finisher, found himself in fourth

position down the back stretch and made an early inside bid around the turn

while the eventual winner and second-place finisher Red Cadeaux came a bit wide

and hooked up with around three-sixteenths to go. Fiorente gained the upper hand

of the duel around the sixteenth pole and finished well for a comfortable

three-quarters of a length victory. Outsider Simenon finished fourth, with the

globetrotting Dandino rounding out the top five placings.

The son of Monsun, formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute, was purchased as

an Australian Cups contender after his 2012 British campaign and had progressed

nicely in his second preparation down under, winning the Dato' Tan Chin Nam

Stakes at Moonee Valley in impressive fashion under former jockey and Waterhouse

favorite Nash Rawiller.

After a less than impressive run in the Turnbull Stakes, Damien Oliver was

given the mount for the Melbourne Cup (with Blake Shinn serving as replacement

in his third-place finish in the October 26 Cox Plate) and rewarded punters

behind the late betting move into Australian favoritism pre-race. The win gave

the controversial Oliver, who had endured a betting scandal earlier in the

season, a trifecta of Melbourne Cups for his trophy case, adding to prior

triumphs aboard Doriemus (1995) and Media Puzzle (2002).

The Melbourne Cup Carnival continues with the Group 1, A$1,000,000 VRC Oaks

on Thursday, with the grand finale being the Group 1 Emirates Stakes on

Saturday.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com