The Cup Page #7

or your father

or your grandfather...

better than they

ever dreamed of being.

You know what he told me?

He said, 'One day,

my brother will be a champion.'.

Well, that day, my friend,

was today.

- Lee...

- Don't take my word for it.

You ask anybody

in these stands today.

And I'll tell you,

as one horseman to another,

that sometimes being a champion

isn't about winning.

It's about gutsing it out.

It's about what you did today.

Saeed bin Suroor

will now choose

for the Godolphin's

third entry, Pugin.

(Applause)

Better choose me a good one!

(Laughter)

Need I mention it, that Frankie

Dettori is riding Pugin.

(Laughter)

Not this one. No.

Not this one. That's...

No. One. That's the one.

That's the one.

(Laughter)

And Pugin will start

from barrier 15.

(Applause)

Thank you. Thank you.

Well, who will do the honours

for Media Puzzle, Mr Weld?

Your turn.

Don't do this to me.

Pick him a nice one.

You pay me to look after your

horses, not choose their gates.

David, today you'll do both.

Excuse me.

It looks like travelling foreman

for the Weld stable,

Dave Phillips, has that honour.

(Applause)

And Media Puzzle has drawn

barrier 3.

(Audience murmurs)

So I tell him...

I say, 'You know, you'd better

get me a good one or else.'.

And look at it.

But you never cross an Italian.

I mean, even the small ones

like me. (Laughs)

People say that closer to

the rails is better, but...

I mean, you know this track.

It's 1,000m straight

from the gate.

So, starting at 23, 24,

you know,

it's not the end of the world.

That's what they say, though

I know where I'd rather be.

(Chuckles)

You did good, mate.

Much obliged.

Damien, I don't know how to...

Last year, Niall and I,

well, our sister died.

No warning. Never sick.

Just gone.

What that's done to our family,

maybe you can understand.

So, when Dermot told me we were

coming back to Australia,

I decided to devote

all my efforts, all my energies,

to winning the Cup for Veronica.

If you like,

to honour her memory.

That good gate I got you

wasn't just the luck

of the draw, you know?

Someone I love dearly helped me

to do what I couldn't do myself,

which is why, on Tuesday,

when you race for the Cup,

I don't believe

you'll be riding alone.

You two have been making

race plans without me again?

It worked at Geelong.

Are you OK?

Yeah.

You've been to Ireland, Damien.

You know, the rare sunny day

always punctures

a long stretch of damp

and darkness.

I know, on Tuesday,

you're the one who can get

the most out of my horse.

I've seen how he responds

to you.

Between the two of you,

you can do it.

Thanks, Dermot.

Welcome back to

The Coodabeen Champions.

This Cup eve edition,

we start to put together

this jigsaw puzzle

that is this year's

Melbourne Cup.

It's interesting you talk

puzzle, Richo, because

I have not deviated

from backing Media Puzzle.

I've supported it right through.

Saw it win at Geelong.

- Spoke to Damien afterward.

- What did he say?

- Can't tell you that.

- Then, why tell us?

- Well, I can't.

- Should've spoken to Dermot.

Well, I've spoken to him too.

I went out to the airport,

saw him on arrival.

- Me and Dermot are like that.

- Well, what did he say?

'Can you take my bags

up to room 732, laddie?'.

Whatever he told you,

he'd do the opposite.

For goodness sake, spit it out.

What did he tell you?

- Well, I can't tell you.

BOTH:
Why not?

Because the laws of libel

prevent me.

ALL:
Oh.

Not surprised to find you here.

Nor you.

It's never easy.

I'll never forget

the first time.

- '93?

- Yeah.

Real or imaginary problems?

All anyone remembers

is that we won.

They don't realise that anything

that could go wrong with

that horse did go wrong.

How wrong?

Vintage Crop

had an inflamed sacroiliac.

He won a two-miler

with a bad back?

And ulcers.

And he hadn't travelled well.

Getting him to the starting gate

was a victory in itself.

And still, after all that,

every time I come back

to race for the Cup,

they treat me like

I'm a cat burglar.

(Chuckles) I know what you mean.

Hmm.

Remember Phar Lap? Years ago?

One of the greatest.

Right up there with

Seabiscuit, Secretariat.

Didn't know how to lose.

Everybody knows about Phar Lap.

Yeah, but not the politics.

His owner

was a working-class trainer.

Wrong side of the tracks,

you know?

His other owner

was an American Jew.

In those days,

it was a little bit too much

for the old boys

who controlled racing,

so they weighed him down

so heavily, he couldn't win.

1931 Cup,

Phar Lap carried 15kg more than

Vinnie's top weight tomorrow.

- Fifteen kilos?

- Yep.

I guess we're a little bit like

Phar Lap's connections, Saeed.

They want us here.

They want the prestige we bring.

But they definitely

don't want us to win.

It's more than just a prize

to them. It's who they are.

Come to these shores

to race for the Cup,

you're up against

more than 20 trainers.

You're up against

the whole of Australia.

(Door opens)

There's someone to see you.

Hey, g'day.

You're not lost, are you?

(Chuckles)

Nah. I just thought I'd drop in.

I'm a big fan,

even though you play for North.

You almost knocked us

out of the finals.

Yeah.

I was there at the game

with my brother.

Yeah, I heard about

the accident.

I'm really sorry, mate.

The only good thing

is it happened so fast,

he never knew what hit him.

But, hey, I'm here to see you.

Mate, that Bali business -

you were amazing.

No. I didn't really have time

to think, you know?

Chaos all around.

Like a game of footy, really.

Yeah, but... Pulling people out?

Diving back in for more?

Anyone would have done the same.

I just knew I had to keep going.

TV ANCHOR:
With the October 12

Bali bombings,

Australians were shaken...

Hey. How did you go?

Yeah. It was good.

This came from your mum.

'Dame, you'll be needing these.

Love, Mum.'.

Oh, wow. That's pretty special.

Yep.

Come here.

# TOPLOADER:
Time Of My Life.

REPORTER:

Welcome to famous Flemington,

where we await an international

audience of around 700 million

as 170 countries and territories

marvel at the race

that stops this nation.

# Sitting in the summer sun

Biding my time

# Waiting for the demons

to go away

# No-one knows when they come

or when they're gonna go away

# As long as they do

we're OK

# Yes, we're alright

# 'Cause I had the time

of my life... #

I'll take $50 on the nose

for Miss Meliss.

Give me $100 each way on Pugin

and $5 on Damien.

Should have a couple

on Dame too.

Yeah. Reckon

he could use a break.

# Yeah, yeah

# Ooh

# Yeah, yeah

# It's alright

# Yeah

# It's alright

It's alright #

RACE CALLER:

..but it's Toast of the Coast.

Oliver's kicked him forward from

an outside gate and has the lead

but Tarcoola Diamond's

coming at him...

Tight on Damien, and take 6.

CALLER:
..a length in front

of Toast Of The Coast,

who can't go on.

It's You is flashing home. But

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