Triumph for Waterhouse, Oliver as Fiorente wins

MELBOURNE: Fiorente gave controversial jockey Damien Oliver his third race win and trainer Gai Waterhouse her first victory in the Melbourne Cup Tuesday.

English-reared Fiorente, the 6-1 favourite and last year's runner-up, surged home over the 3200 metres (two miles) ahead of British stayers Red Cadeaux (60-1) and Mount Athos (12-1) to win Australia's most famous race by three-quarters of a length.

It was Oliver's third victory in the 153rd Melbourne Cup after previous wins on Ireland's Media Puzzle in 2002 and Doriemus in 1995, while leading trainer Waterhouse broke through for her first success in the Aus$6 million ($5.7 million) race after three runner-up placings.

It was a popular home victory with Waterhouse, daughter of famous trainer TJ Smith, landing her first Melbourne Cup win after previous second-place finishes with Fiorente last year, Te Akau Nick in 1993 and Nothin' Leica Dane in 1995.

Fiorente was bred in Ireland and began his racing life in the Newmarket stable of Michael Stoute before Waterhouse bought the six-year-old stallion for Aus$1.1 million little more than a year ago to race in Australia.

The horse, who was beaten by a length by Green Moon in last year's Cup, wore down Ed Dunlop's Red Cadeaux, who was runner-up in the race for a second time after he was pipped by French galloper Dunaden in 2011.

Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani again had a placegetter with Mount Athos taking third after his unlucky fifth last year.

The Cumani-trained Purple Moon finished a close second in 2007 and Bauer got even closer when narrowly beaten the following year.

Simenon, bidding to become the third Irish horse to win the Melbourne Cup, finished a strong-finishing fourth with English stayer Dandino fifth.

Oliver brought Fiorente from midfield to stake his challenge at the 300m.

Brown Panther, owned by former England football international Michael Owen, was up with the pace early and finished eighth, while Godolphin runner Royal Empire was down the track in 14th. Dunaden was 11th.

There was tragedy in the race when the Aga Khan's first runner in the Cup, French mare Verema, was put down after breaking a leg during the running. Her connections were too distraught to speak. (AFP)