Twilight Payment gave Irish coach Joseph O’Brien a second Melbourne Cup win, but the victory was overshadowed by the death of 2019 Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.
The 25-1 winner, riding by J.McNeill, drove from start to finish and stuck in from Tiger Moth – trained by O’Brien’s father Aidan – and Prince of Arran.
Anthony Van Dyck, fellow Tiger Moth, derby winner of Epsom in 2019, collapsed in a row.
Horse broke a leg in the accident.
“It is with sadness that we confirm that Anthony Van Dyck should have been killed with human mercy after suffering a fracture while managing the Melbourne Cup in Flemington,” said Racing Victoria spokesman Jimmy Steer.
The race, which usually draws a crowd of around 100,000, was held behind closed doors due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
It was McNeill’s first Melbourne Cup winning run and a seventh victory for owner Lloyd Williams in the Millennial race for which he took a first prize of over £ 2.3 million.
O’Brien, 27, also landed racing in Flemington with Rekindling four years ago.
The trainer said, “The horse has an unbelievable heart. Ji gave him a wonderful journey and he has a great will to win and keep fighting until the end.”
Kerrin McEvoy, Tiger Moth runner and runner, was fined A $ 50,000 (£ 27,000) and suspended for 13 sessions for excessive use of the whip in the closing stages.
McNeill stood out for his outstanding mountain all the time with Tiger Moth also in the lead in the early stages before settling in for third.
With five lego to run, the 23-person field was well-packed and Twilight Payment had lengths to spare to enter the closing stages.
Tiger Moth charged the house late, but Joseph O’Brien banished his father again, as he had done three years earlier when Rekindling defeated Johannes Vermeer.
Joseph said, “We both realize how difficult it is to win on the world stage in these big and big races, but I’m very lucky to have managed to win two big races.”
“My dad was very lucky, he won so many big races, I would be happy if he did, and I’m sure it’s for me after the win. We are doing our best in the ring and whatever happens out there happens.”
Britain’s competitor Prince of Aran, who was trained in Newmarket by Charlie Fellowes, flew to the finish point to be placed for the third year in a row after finishing second last year and third in 2018.
Melbourne Cup result
1 Twilight nudge 1-25
2 Tiger moth 11-2
3 Amir Earan 2-17
4 Chosen 40-1
Ran 23
