Dunaden (yellow) edges out Red Cadeaux (left) by the smallest margin to become the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner
French snare their second successive Melbourne Cup
Today the 151st edition of the ‘race that stops a nation’, the 2011 Melbourne Cup, was won by the French-trained Geelong Cup winner Dunaden from the Ed Dunlop-trained European raider Red Cadeaux in a photo finish Melbourne Cup 2011 result.
The closest to a dead heat Melbourne Cup finish the nation has seen before, the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden claimed the iconic Flemington showdown by the bob of the head, with the Anthony Freedman-trained Lucas Cranach finishing off the Melbourne Cup Trifecta in third a further length and a quarter away.
It was Viewed and Bauer all over again from 2008 when the Melbourne Cup was decided by a mere nose.
Defending champion and this year’s Melbourne Cup favouite at Luxbet was Americain.
Despite a powerful late burst and a colossal run to finish fourth on the line, the 58kg topweight proved just too much for Americain to handle and the galloper failed to salute for the punters or become the sixth horse in history to win multiple Melbourne Cups.
Once again it was the French flag being waved at Flemington Racecourse, Dunaden also hailing from France and being prepared by Mikel Delzangles who once worked as an assistant trainer to Americain’s mentor Alain de Royer Dupre.
And once again the Geelong Cup form proved powerful, Dunaden following in the hoofsteps of Amercain by claiming the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double.
Dunaden was one of only three horses in the Melbourne Cup field, which featured 23 runners at start time, at single-figure odds in the betting markets.
In pre-race drama the original jockey booked to ride the subsequent Melbourne Cup winner, Craig Williams missed the ride due to suspension and the glory went to French jockey Christophe Lemaire who was called in from Japan at the eleventh-hour.
Proving themselves as a world-class jockey, Lemaire rode Duanden to perfection in a Melbourne Cup run at a muddling pace.
Dunaden also proved to be a world-class performer and a world-class stayer, the horse originally looking in trouble with 100 metres to travel but to their credit they held on, stuck their head down on the line and raced their way into the Melbourne Cup history books.
It was Bart Cummings’ German import Illo from the inside barrier one that went forward to race on the pace and lead the Melbourne Cup field right until the turn for home.
At the 1000 metre mark Duanden was still settled nicely 10 lengths off the leader.
Illo and the fellow Bart Cummings-trained stablemate Precedence were the leaders coming around the bend, but the challengers quickly moved up.
Red Cadeaux, ridden by Michael Rodd, came flashing home hard and fast on the outside while Duanden made their charge down the middle.
The duo fought it out stride for stride in a Melbourne Cup finish down the famous Flemington straight that will be remembered for a long time to come.
It was a nervous wait for everyone in Australia from the jockeys and connections to the punters as the Melbourne Cup photo was consulted.
On the line it was Dunaden with everyone thinking “What a finish, what a ride.”
“This is just unbelievable,” Lemaire said seconds after his win was announced officially.
“It was very narrow.”
When interviewed a few more moments later the Melbourne Cup success had started to sink in for Lemaire.
“It’s a great moment for me this is incredible,” he said, moved to tears.
“I was a bit anxious, I know it was very close.
“I thought maybe the outside horse (Red Cadeaux) win so I feel a bit disappointed even though the horse gave everything.”
Trainer Mikel Delzangles was equally as amazed and emotional after the Melbourne Cup result was finalised.
“I’m still shaking it’s amazing,” he said
“I thought I was beaten so it’s even better.”
To view the full 2011 Melbourne Cup Results and see how your bets went, visit Australia’s leading online bookmaker Luxbet who paid Best Tote Exotics plus a 5% bonus on the winning Melbourne Cup exotics today.
2011 Melbourne Cup Finishing Order & Result
| Finish | No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | DUNADEN(13) | Christophe Lemaire | Mikel Delzangles | 54.5 | 3-20.84 |
| 2nd | 12 | RED CADEAUX(15) | Michael Rodd | Ed Dunlop | 53.5 | 0.1L |
| 3rd | 9 | LUCAS CRANACH(11) | Corey Brown | Anthony Freedman | 53.5 | 1.4L |
| 4th | 1 | AMERICAIN(14) | Gerald Mosse | Alain de Royer Dupre | 58.0 | 1.5L |
| 5th | 6 | MANIGHAR(20) | Damien Oliver | Luca Cumani | 54.0 | 2.7L |
| 6th | 15 | LOST IN THE MOMENT(3) | William Buick | Saeed Bin Suroor | 53.0 | 2.8L |
| 7th | 8 | FOX HUNT(18) | Silvestre De Sousa | Mark Johnston | 53.5 | 2.9L |
| 8th | 23 | NIWOT(9) | Dean Yendall | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 51.0 | 3.7L |
| 9th | 7 | UNUSUAL SUSPECT(7) | Brad Rawiller | Michael Kent | 54.0 | 3.8L |
| 10th | 17 | AT FIRST SIGHT(10) | Steven King | Robert Hickmott | 52.5 | 6.5L |
| 11th | 11 | PRECEDENCE(2) | Darren Beadman | Bart Cummings | 53.5 | 6.6L |
| 12th | 4 | DRUNKEN SAILOR(8) | Dwayne Dunn | Luca Cumani | 54.0 | 7.6L |
| 13th | 21 | THE VERMINATOR(4) | Craig Newitt | Chris Waller | 52.0 | 7.8L |
| 14th | 22 | TULLAMORE(12) | Chris Munce | Gai Waterhouse | 52.0 | 7.9L |
| 15th | 18 | MOYENNE CORNICHE(16) | Brett Prebble | Brian Ellison | 52.0 | 8.0L |
| 16th | 19 | SAPTAPADI(21) | Chris Symons | Brian Ellison | 52.0 | 8.1L |
| 17th | 24 | OLDER THAN TIME(19) | Tim Clark | Gai Waterhouse | 51.0 | 8.6L |
| 18th | 13 | HAWK ISLAND(17) | Glyn Schofield | Chris Waller | 53.0 | 8.9L |
| 19th | 14 | ILLO(1) | Jim Cassidy | Bart Cummings | 53.0 | 14.9L |
| 20th | 2 | JUKEBOX JURY(6) | Neil Callan | Mark Johnston | 57.0 | 16.7L |
| 21st | 20 | SHAMROCKER(23) | Luke Nolen | Danny O’Brien | 52.0 | 17.0L |
| 22nd | 5 | GLASS HARMONIUM(22) | Lisa Cropp | Michael Moroney | 54.0 | 17.1L |
| 23rd | 16 | MODUN(5) | Kerrin McEvoy | Saeed Bin Suroor | 53.0 | 25.6L |
| Src | 10 | MOURAYAN | Hugh Bowman | Robert Hickmott |
