BROWNIE'S BLOG: THE CUP - PART 2. DISAPPOINTMENTS DON'T COME MUCH BIGGER THAN THIS

By Damian Browne | Sunday, November 10, 2019

Brownie’s Blog is the weekly blog of multiple Group 1 winning jockey Damian Browne. Because of the ever growing interest in Brownie's opinion and the requests for his view on other talking points about The Cup after his first offering on Wednesday Brownie has produced a second blog for Cup week in which he talks about those who didn't end up having the best of days after victory had seemingly been within their grasp. This is Brownie’s Blog – exclusive to HRO.

(Also see Brownie's Blog: The Cup - Part 1. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie … )

Frankie (Dettori) can cause controversy can’t he?

Frankie has been trying to win the Cup for many years and it is probably one of the few big races around the world that he hasn’t won. I know it bugs him … that and the fact that he often cops a lot of criticism when he comes here.

I don’t think you can criticise his ride for the greater part of the race on Tuesday. I thought he gave Master Of Reality every chance … except obviously he didn’t steer in straight for the last little bit.

I think when you get to the last 200m … 100m of a Melbourne Cup it is simply not like any other race. As a jockey, you are just trying to do everything in your power to get that horse to the line. Obviously, the horse has drifted around on him.

If you like celebrations you missed out on something with Frankie not winning because there is no doubt his celebrations would have been more epic than we got with Craig (Williams). They were probably the two most contrasting riders in the race character-wise.

I know a lot of punters who lost out on the amended result will disagree but, I must be honest, I did feel for Frankie given just how close he came to that elusive victory and the manner in which it all ended for him.

Racing heartaches don’t come much bigger than that no matter how experienced you are or how successful you have been throughout your career.

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Michael Walker was another rider who came within a whisker of Melbourne Cup glory.

In the interests of full disclosure Michael is one of my best friends and Kim and I would have been on a plane to celebrate with him if he had won the race (I was screaming at the 200m).

Ultimately Michael was placed second, after the protest, aboard Prince Of Arran and, like Frankie, I know Michael was shattered by events post-race when he was fined and suspended … and now, again like Frankie, Michael has had to try and cope with the disgusting abuse on the social media side of things.

To mention his family and his children is going too far and, as I felt for Frankie, I feel for Michael.

Both jockeys were trying their best to win the race and nothing either of them did was worthy of the abuse that they received.

In our society we are supposed to be held accountable for our actions. When you go too far you are held accountable by the law and these people who go to far by making personal comments should be held accountable.

Let’s hope that can happen somehow in some shape or form sooner rather than later.

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Lastly, I’ve never been in favour of giving too much oxygen to people who don’t know what they are talking about.

Let’s just say all of the ‘fake news’ that is being bandied about regarding the horseracing industry is just that and those irresponsible stories should be confined to the scrapheap where they belong.

In the meantime, the rest of us … those of us who really love horses … will get on with our lives living, breathing, working with and caring for these beautiful animals.

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