Americain seizes Melbourne glory

FRENCH raider Americain thundered home on a rain-soaked Flemington racecourse to win the $6 million Melbourne Cup, overhauling fading favourite So You Think in the final stages of the race that stops a nation.

Jockey Gerald Mosse held up his mount's run until the last 200 metres before unleashing the six-year-old, who charged from third to first and finished more than two lengths ahead of Maluckyday and the 2-1 favourite So You Think.

Holberg fared best of the British party in finishing a creditable sixth under Frankie Dettori, while fellow Godolphin runner Campanologist finished 16th. Luca Cumani's Manighar finished seventh, William Knight's Illustrious Blue was ninth and Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty was 17th. As Mosse rode triumphantly back to the unsaddling enclosure on the 12-1 shot, his tri-coloured cap and stars and stripes silks splattered with mud, he raised his finger to celebrate a first victory for a French-trained horse or jockey in the 3,200m race.

"In the last 200 metres I knew the race was done for me. I put faith in my horse and he came through," said Mosse. "This job is so easy when you're in the best race on the best horse." On a dead track, with heavy rain falling only minutes before the start, Americain broke well from gate 12 in the 23-horse field for the 150th running of the race. Americain was tucked deep into the field in the early stages, Mosse keeping his mount slightly wide to try and find firmer footing. "French horses like a little bit more room. I did not want it too rough for him. I just wanted him to relax," Mosse added.

Around the last turn and down the long Flemington straight a group led by So You Think broke wide to make their dash for home. "I saw So You Think get clear and run and followed him," Mosse said.

Mosse spurred on Americain with the whip but, as he passed So You Think, he knew he had the race won.

Americain is American-bred but trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre. "He got nothing in America, he did not adapt to the American system. But the first time I saw him run in France, I knew he was a great horse," Royer-Dupre said. While French colours flew triumphantly over Flemington, the champagne was flowing for the two Australian owners of Americain, who bought the stallion for a mere $225,000.

Gerry Ryan, a leading caravan manufacturer in Australia, and his partner Kevin Bamford, bought Americain from the House of Chanel perfume kings Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.

"We bought him to run in the Melbourne Cup not to win the Melbourne Cup," Ryan said. "It's a dream come true.I will have to keep pinching myself.

"It is a truly international event, an American-bred horse, a French trainer, a Hong Kong-based jockey and Australian owners."

Many of the 110,200 who flocked to Flemington for the Cup celebrations were hoping for a 13th win for Australia's octogenarian champion trainer Bart Cummings through favourite So You Think. They had already had to contend with the wet weather that saw umbrellas sprouting like mushrooms on the lawn. However, minutes before the start of the race, the rain stopped and so did Australia.

Americain is the third European-trained horse to win the race after Ireland's Weld saddled Vintage Crop to victory in 1993 and repeated the feat with Media Puzzle nine years later. But for Britain the drought continues.