THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - ANOTHER GAME CHANGING WIN IN THE MELBOURNE CUP

By Graham Potter | Sunday, November 10, 2013

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily

It’s on already … that is for those who can afford it!

After decrying the fact that, for a succession of years, the Melbourne Cup was seemingly taken over by overseas raiders to the detriment of Australian connections, Fiorente’s win on Tuesday confirmed a new dynamic is firmly in place and that Australian connections have worked out the game to their advantage.

Australian owners, trainer and jockey teamed with a suitable European-bred horse … that has been the formula for both the 2012 and 2013 Cup success stories, first with Green Moon and then Fiorente.

Bold ‘search and seize’ raids into ‘enemy’ territory have restored some semblance of normality as the Australian connection has moved to purchase tried and tested staying pedigrees from outside of Australia, in countries that pride themselves on producing quality stayers.

Mix that stout staying pedigree with some proven racetrack ability and then add in the advantage of top line local expertise in terms of trainer and jockey to help the horse get the best out of Australian conditions and the Cup seemingly can be within your grasp.

But it doesn’t come cheap (Fiorente was reported to have been purchase for $1.1 million) and you only hear about the success stories and not the costly failures.

Nevertheless, for the moment, that appears to be the flavour of the month in terms of finding an avenue to Cup victory.

Fiorente’s owners have already confirmed the purchase of a further three horses from Europe who will be amongst those targeting next year’s Melbourne Cup … and you can bet they will not be the only Australians involved in the European sales market in coming weeks.

And, to add insult to injury to the Cup’s visiting set, after beating off the challenge of the European raiders at Flemington, Fiorente could now be given the opportunity to plunder European features with a return to his native land … under the guidance of the Australian team that took him to Cup victory … already being touted.

Talk about turning the tables.

Amid all of the celebration though there is some dismay.

Having an Australian owned and trained horse win the Cup is well and good, but if the trick is now to source that horse overseas it will further impact the already shaky interest in breeding stayers in Australia.

In fact it could well cement the death of such an enterprise.

A couple of years ago, when the influx of the internationals started to build momentum, we were all exaggerating the point saying that if things continued the way they were, one day there wouldn’t be an Australian based runner in the race.

Now we are patting ourselves on the back … without seemingly realising that if things continue the way they are going now, one day there will not be an Australian bred horse in the race which, like a full field of internationals, should never be accepted as a satisfactory outcome.

But then this is racing we are talking about.

The only certainty is new trends will emerge in the coming years.

For now though congratulations are due to those who have got it right.

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