Hannon's three international raiders go unplaced
Melbourne Cup: Vow and Declare (orange quartered cap) wins over Master of Reality (white cap) - with Il Paradiso (blue cap) & British trained Prince of Arran (blue/red cap) (Photo Courtesy Racing PhotosMarlborough trainer Richard Hannon had said that the four-year-old colt Raymond Tusk "...is the ideal type of horse to run (and hopefully win) a Melbourne Cup as he's still reltively lightly raced."
But the Herridge Stables' hopes of winning the £4.25 million 2019 Melbourne Cup (November 5) when - under Jamie Spencer - Raymond Tusk faded and the four-year-old came home in sixteenth place - out of the 24 runners.
Jamie Spencer - who had flown to Australia after four rides in the Breeders' Cup races in California - said Raymond Tusk had a 'decent chance' in the race. It is being said the race turned out to be too slow for him.
The finish to the race was full of controversy. It looked as though Frankel sired Master of Reality (trained in Ireland by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by Frankie Dettori) had the race within his grasp. But he was just outrun by local horse Vow And Declare.
After a protest Dettori's horse was demoted to fourth place for interference.
At the weekend, in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf race over a mile and two furlongs at Santa Anna, the Hannon-trained Billesdon Brook (ridden by Sean Levey) took eighth place out of the ten runners.
The official summary of the race said: "Billesdon Brook hopped a bit at the start, angled in on the hill and saved ground chasing the pace, also came out on the second turn and four wide into the stretch and lacked the needed rally."
But back in Australia, on Saturday (November 2) at Rosehill Pat Dobbs took Hannon-trained Beat Le Bon into sixth place in the seven-and-a-half furlong Iron Jack Golden Eagle race for 3-4-year-olds. Winning nearly £55,250. Beat Le Bon set off as a 50/1. The race was won by the New Zealand bred horse Kolding at 5/1 the joint second favourite.