Lexus Melbourne Cup: Gold Trip strikes off top weight in Flemington for Mark Zahra | Racing News

Mark Zahra generated Gold Trip with a flawlessly-timed challenge to elevate the
Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

Qualified by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Gold Excursion was the best fat in the two-mile contest with James Ferguson’s British raider Deauville Legend widely anticipated to perform a main purpose in the Group A person.

Kerrin McEvoy settled Deauville Legend in the pack by means of the early phases, with fellow British runner Without A Battle having difficulties to come across early cover from a vast attract as Smokin’ Romans took an early lead.

It was 2020 Derby hero Serpentine, now trained by Robert Hickmott, who grabbed command right after a couple of furlongs, lobbing along nicely as he chased a to start with Australian accomplishment.

He dropped away as Knights Buy went for residence perfectly just before the turn, with Deauville Legend seemingly beautifully put at the prime of the straight.

Kerrin McEvoy went for residence two furlongs out on the British challenger, but Zahra was just acquiring into major gear on Gold Excursion, sweeping previous Deauville Legend with around a furlong to run in advance of remaining on strongly to repel the late thrust of an additional ex-British runner in Emissary.

The winner’s stablemate High Emocean grabbed 3rd, just forward of Deauville Legend with With out A Struggle coming house unplaced.

Gold Trip was beforehand qualified in France by Fabrice Chappet, where by he was placed several situations in Group One enterprise and finished fourth in the 2020 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but he experienced only won at the time and the five-12 months-old had yet to triumph in five Australian outings.

For Zahra there was a measure of compensation immediately after he missed out on the successful journey aboard Verry Elleegant in past year’s race because of to suspension.

Zahra informed www.racing.com: “This time very last year I was watching Verry Elleegant get and receiving informed off for ingesting way too considerably.

“To appear a whole 12 months and have redemption on a horse like this, with excellent mates of mine who coach the horse and personal the horse, my wife’s right here and it is an unbelievable emotion.”

Gold Vacation was beaten by just a head in the Caulfield Cup in mid-October and Zahra joked: “I timed it to perfection so he didn’t get re-handicapped for now!

“He’s the type of horse that when you go, you have to go, usually I reckon he can assume about it. I went and I was pondering ‘we’ve continue to acquired a little bit to go here’.

“I was uncertain he would run 3200 (metres) but Ciaron and David and the group just experienced him place on today. It is really unbelievable.”

Maher and Eustace saddled five runners in the race and Maher stated: “Great energy by the entire staff. He is really dicey this horse. To have him present in the Cup like that was amazing.

“It did open up superbly, we had a approach heading out with Mark, he was pretty very good on him in the Caulfield Cup and we just preferred to wait, wait around, wait, we know he’s got that very good convert of foot, he was excellent.

“It’s unbelievable, it really is a dream arrive real, and I’m just thrilled.”

Eustace is the son of former Newmarket trainer James and brother of recent handler Harry, who saddled his first Royal Ascot winner back again in June.

He reported: “I are not able to consider it, certainly (I’m) a bit overcome. It can be a dream that we all want to accomplish.

“It truly is the pinnacle of our activity, to do it with Ciaron, I’m clearly so grateful to be coaching with him. It’s a excellent honour to be carrying out that with all these great horses and an amazing crew of employees we have, it is a full credit to them.

“It really is a full credit history to them to get 5 below and to this horse who was so unlucky in the Caulfield Cup. I was so gutted when he received crushed, and I imagined he was heading to get beaten again, it truly is just really amazing.”