• Melbourne Cup

Fiorente seals Melbourne Cup triumph

Fiorente ensured a home victory at the Melbourne Cup as British-trained horses suffered another near miss with second, third and fifth-placed finishes.

The result means Britain's quest to win a Melbounre Cup continues, as Fiorente, once trained in Newmarket but now looked after by Gai Waterhouse, took the £3,560,000 prize.

Waterhouse finally managed to emulate her father Tommy Smith's feat by training a Cup winner after 20 years of trying. Success did not come cheaply, with Fiorente bought for Aus$1 million before finishing as runner-up last year, but he has now fully justified his price tag.

After being narrowly edged out in 2011, Red Cadeaux and his trainer Ed Dunlop had to settle for second place again, beaten by three quarters of a length.

Luca Cumani saw Simenon finish fourth for Ireland's Willie Mullins, while Dandino, also Newmarket-trained, came home fifth.

Sadly Verema, a first runner in the Cup for the Aga Khan, had to be put down after breaking down badly in the back straight.

"He's [Fiorente] been a pleasure to train. Since the moment he joined us, he has never disappointed," said Robbie Waterhouse, husband of Gai.

"There is such a focus on this race. I had a real, live chance for the first time and I didn't want to let people down. I know it sounds corny but I wanted to fulfil people's dreams."

Jockey Damien Oliver won the Cup for a third time after recently serving a lengthy ban for betting on a rival horse, holding off a late rally from seven-year-old Red Cadeaux.

"To me, this was the crux of his [Red Cadeaux's] career," Dunlop explained. "I'm the ultimate pessimist. He'd run badly last time and I wondered if he was too old but this showed me he isn't.

"I don't like being beaten in Melbourne Cups and I swore when they crossed the line. Now, I feel more pride than anything. If I have my way, he'll be back again next year."

Michael Owen's Brown Panther finished in a creditable eighth, though Royal Empire was 14th for Godolphin, and Ruscello last of 23.

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