MEDIA LANDS MELBOURNE CUP

Media Puzzle landed an emotional triumph for Dermot Weld and Damien Oliver in the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup at Flemington in Australia today.

The five-year-old was giving Irish trainer Weld a second success in the famous race after Vintage Crop in 1993, while jockey Oliver was in tears afterwards as he remembered his brother Jason, who tragically died last week following a riding accident.

Vinnie Roe made it a memorable day for the Weld stable as he finished a brave fourth in the two-mile showpiece under a big weight on very fast ground.

Both of the Weld horses were in an ideal position throughout the two-mile contest as Hatha Anna, one of three runners for Godolphin, and Sandmason battled it out in front for the lead.

Frankie Dettori on Pugin also travelled well just off the leaders but faded disappointingly when the field made the turn for home.

It was Vinnie Roe and Pat Smullen who appeared to be going slightly the better straightening up but they had no answer when Oliver gave Media Puzzle the office.

He stretched clear in tremendous style as Vinnie Roe`s welter burden began to tell.

Mr Prudent and the third Godolphin runner Beekeeper finished well to fill the second and third places but the winner never looked in danger of being caught, recording one of the fastest times in the race`s long history in the process.

He was good value for the winning margin of two lengths and a long neck.

Weld, the only European trainer to ever win Australia greatest race, was proud of his runners.

He said: 'It`s a wonderful day. I`m delighted for everybody concerned - my staff, who`ve done such a wonderful job with this horse. This is very special.

'These are special moments in life.

'I was so thrilled turning for home to see my two horses fighting out the Melbourne Cup. They`ve come 12,000 miles to do this.

'Vinnie Roe has run a wonderful race for a four-year-old. He hasn`t let us down for a big run on a track that was too firm for him.

'He`ll be back but today was Media Puzzle`s day.

'After he ran fourth in the English St Leger I said in the enclosure to Mike Dillon of Ladbrokes `I`ll win the Melbourne Cup with this horse`.

'In fact he fractured his pelvis quite badly and stood in a box for four and a half months and we`ve brought him back for today.'

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford said: 'With a little more experience Beekeeper would perhaps have done a bit better.

'Hopefully next year we`ll be back and we`ll look at things again because one thing we have seen this year is that two of the horses (Media Puzzle and Beekeeper) have had runs and so perhaps we will come back a little earlier next year.'

Daliapour, Epsom and Irish Derby runner-up in 1999, was prominent in the early stages but finished unplaced and his Newmarket trainer Sir Michael Stoute said: 'He didn`t really get the trip.'

Media Puzzle, who had been a leading fancy for the race since he won the Holden Geelong Cup last month, paid AU 6 for a win and AU 2.4 for a place.