2014 Melbourne Cup

Protectionist and jockey Ryan Moore at the 2014 Melbourne Cup

The 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup was the 154th running of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race. The race, run over 3,200 metres, was held on 4 November 2014, at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Protectionist, ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by German Andreas Wöhler, won the race by four lengths, becoming the first German-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup. Red Cadeaux placed second and Who Shot Thebarman third, with Red Cadeaux the first horse to place second on three occasions.

The total prize money for the race was A$6.2 million, with the winner receiving $3.6 million,[1] as well as a solid gold trophy valued at $175,000.[2] Hosted by the Victoria Racing Club, the Melbourne Cup was one of four major Group-1 races held at Flemington during the Spring Racing Carnival (the others being the Victoria Derby, the Crown Oaks, and the Emirates Stakes). An estimated $800 million was wagered on the race,[3] which was attended by 100,794 people.[4]

Race favourite Admire Rakti placed last and died shortly after the race from cardiac arrest following ventricular fibrillation.[5] Another horse, Araldo, shattered a hind pastern when frightened by a spectator after the race.[6] He was later euthanised.[7][8]

Field

The field for the 2014 Melbourne Cup consisted of 24 horses,[9] with the barrier draw conducted three days prior to the race, after the conclusion of the Victoria Derby meeting.[10] The field was one of the oldest in the race's history, with an average age of 6.8 years. Unusually, only two horses in the race were bred in Australia, though a majority of trainers and jockeys were from Australia.[11] Jockeys Glyn and Chad Schofield became the first father and son in the race since 1968, when George and Gary Moore both rode.[12]

Sea Moon was scratched the day before the race, after suffering from an ailment.[13] English horse Cavalryman was scratched on the morning of the race due to foreleg swelling.[14]

Except where otherwise listed, horses, trainers, and jockeys are Australian:
Horse Trainer(s) Jockey Weight Barrier Place
1 Admire Rakti (JPN) Tomoyuki Umeda (JPN) Zac Purton 58.5 kg 8 22
2 Cavalryman (GBR) Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) Craig Williams 57 kg 3 SCR
3 Fawkner Robert Hickmott Nicholas Hall 57 kg 9 10
4 Red Cadeaux (GBR) Ed Dunlop (GBR) Gérald Mossé (FRA) 57 kg 15 2
5 Protectionist (GER) Andreas Wöhler (GER) Ryan Moore (GBR) 56.5 kg 11 1
6 Sea Moon (GBR) Robert Hickmott Tommy Berry 56.5 kg 18 SCR
7 Seismos (IRE) Marco Botti (GBR) Craig Newitt 56 kg 1 9
8 Junoob (GBR) Chris Waller (NZL) Hugh Bowman 55.5 kg 7 8
9 Royal Diamond (IRE) Johnny Murtagh (IRE) Steven Arnold 55.5 kg 6 20
10 Gatewood (GBR) John Gosden (GBR) William Buick (GBR) 55 kg 21 12
11 Mutual Regard (IRE) Johnny Murtagh (IRE) Damien Oliver 55 kg 12 14
12 Who Shot Thebarman (NZL) Chris Waller (NZL) Glen Boss 55 kg 13 3
13 Willing Foe (USA) Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) James McDonald (NZL) 55 kg 17 5
14 My Ambivalent (IRE) Roger Varian (GBR) Andrea Atzeni (ITA) 54.5 kg 4 17
15 Precedence (NZL) Bart Cummings &
James Cummings
Michael Rodd 54.5 kg 19 6
16 Brambles (NZL) Peter Moody Luke Nolen 54 kg 20 15
17 Mr O'Ceirin (NZL) Michael Moroney Chad Schofield 54 kg 18 21
18 Au Revoir (IRE) André Fabre (FRA) Glyn Schofield 53.5 kg 22 8
19 Lidari (FRA) Peter Moody Ben Melham 53.5 kg 10 19
20 Opinion (IRE) Chris Waller (NZL) Tye Angland 53.5 kg 14 11
21 Araldo (GBR) Michael Moroney Dwayne Dunn 53 kg 23 7
22 Lucia Valentina (NZL) Kris Lees Kerrin McEvoy 53 kg 2 13
23 Unchain My Heart David Hayes &
Tom Dabernig
Dean Yendall 51.5 kg 5 16
24 Signoff (IRE) Darren Weir João Moreira (BRA) 51 kg 16 4

Indicates race favourite

See also

References

  1. Phil McManus (30 October 2014). "2014 Melbourne Cup can become 'the race that stops the whip'"The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  2. (3 November 2014). "Racing royalty ready for Cup parade" – Fox Sports Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. "Melbourne Cup 2014: 2,000 bets a second as we splurge $800m on Cup" The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  4. Neale Donnelley (4 November 2014). "Melbourne Cup crowd tops 100,000" – Racing Network. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  5. "Melbourne Cup 2014 result: Protectionist wins the race – as it happened". Guardian. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  6. "Melbourne Cup 2014: Last-placed Admire Rakti dies". smh.com.au. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  7. "Melbourne Cup 2014: Araldo loses fight after being spooked post-race and fracturing leg". Fox Sports.
  8. "Now SECOND horse dies on Melbourne Cup's blackest day: Araldo has to be put down after breaking leg just hours after favourite Admire Rakti became distressed and dropped dead in his stall". Daily Mail. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  9. Franklin, Daniel (3 November 2013). "Melbourne Cup: 2014 field, form guide, and sweep". ABC News. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  10. "2014 Melbourne Cup". HorseRacingInfo.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  11. Daniel Franklin, Simon Elvery, and Ben Spraggon. "Melbourne Cup 2014: What makes a winner?" – ABC News. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  12. Ray Thomas (2 November 2014). "Melbourne Cup 2014: Glyn and Chad Schofield create own piece of history"The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  13. Rod Nicholson (3 November 2014). "Melbourne Cup: Sea Moon scratched from big race"Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  14. Newman, Paul (4 November 2014). "Melbourne Cup: Admire Rakti remains favourite; English galloper Cavalryman scratched".

External links