Published by Melbourne Books
Level 9, 100 Collins Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Australia
Copyright © Kristen Manning 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Author: Kristen Manning
Title: Prince Of Penzance: The Extraordinary 2015 Melbourne Cup
ISBN: 9781925556070 (ebook)
Subjects: Melbourne Cup (Horse race)
Prince of Penzance (Race horse)
Horse racing--Victoria--Melbourne.
Race horses--Victoria--Melbourne.
Dewey Number: 798.40099451
Front cover image: HISTORY AT FLEMINGTON! Prince Of Penzance and Michelle Payne win the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Photo courtesy of AAP Image/Julian Smith
Digital Distribution: Ebook Alchemy
eBook Created by Warren Broom
For Ashley, who was so patient while Mum
was writing her book for giants
Foreword
From humble beginnings in 1861, the Melbourne Cup quickly developed into a race that captured the public’s imagination. The first 154 renewals of the Melbourne Cup provided an amazing array of highlights featuring legendary names such as Phar Lap, Carbine, Peter Pan, Makybe Diva, Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith and Colin Hayes.
Each year brings a new remarkable story, but no running of the race in recent history entered the history books in such spectacular fashion as in 2015, when Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to ride a Melbourne Cup winner. Her win was a testament to her determination and talent. With a childhood dream to win the race, Michelle overcame tragedy and injury to deliver a racing fairytale.
Michelle’s win highlighted thoroughbred racing’s unique status as a sport where men and women compete against each other on a level playing field. Women continue to be increasingly well represented in the industry, and we hope that Michelle’s trailblazing victory will encourage even more female participation across all areas of the sport.
The 2015 win was also special for other reasons. Champion trainer Darren Weir realised a long-held dream of his own to win the great race. Darren Weir’s story is a brilliant example of grassroots country racing providing the nursery which produces future champions of the sport. From his country Victoria stables, Darren and his team produce countless winners, with the 2015 win in the Emirates Melbourne Cup by the tough six-year-old gelding Prince Of Penzance being the jewel in the crown.
The equal longest-priced winner in the history of the race, with odds at 100–1, Prince of Penzance courageously and spectacularly fought back from injury and illness to claim his place in history.
The 2015 Emirates Melbourne Cup typified exactly what the race is all about — determination, hard work and a race that can be won by horses from all over the globe or by one in our very backyard. It reminds us that it is important not to lose sight of your dreams.
The VRC is delighted that such an historic win in the Emirates Melbourne Cup has been documented in this wonderful tribute written by Kristen Manning, and I commend this book to all fellow lovers of racing.
Michael Burn
VRC Chairman
Prologue
Melbourne Cup Day
Tuesday, 3 November 2015 dawned cold and rough at Lady Bay Beach, Warrnambool. The waves attacked the sand, the grey skies threatened rain but didn’t deliver. It was loud but quiet. Dramatic but serene.
Anyone watching from afar would expect to see little but squawking seagulls and the watery mist rising from the waves. If it was to be a head poking out of the water it would be that of a fish, or at a certain time of year, a whale.
But with a number of flourishing racing stables nearby, Lady Bay each morning hosts a procession of majestic thoroughbreds.
It was where Prince Of Penzance began his Melbourne Cup Day. He was already hard fit; there was not much more to do than get him to Flemington. But he was fresh and keen.
Being ridden off a pony up a small section of the 3.5-kilometre beach, he stretched his legs, he relaxed. He was ready to go.
As Prince Of Penzance returned to the stables, the sun rose. It remained crisp but it was a beautiful morning. One full of promise.
The horse picked at the remains of his breakfast of which he’d eaten half at around 4am. Around him his people prepared for the biggest day of his racing career. Not that he was particularly fussed; he’d been on a float trip to the races twenty-three times before, and this day was no different.
Not a peep was heard from Prince Of Penzance on the 253-kilometre trip from Warrnambool to Flemington. So quiet is he when he travels that his strapper Maddie Raymond thinks he must be asleep.
But he knew when he had arrived. And he started to paw; he wanted to get out there. He wanted to be off and racing.
Part One
Prince Of Penzance
‘We are going to have some fun with this horse.’
Chapter One
The Beginning
The Friday provincial race meeting is one of the quietest of the week.
Premiership jockeys are less likely to ride at them, and aside from a few local retirees the bulk of racegoers are owners … and the keenest ones at that. This included John Richards and Darren Lonsdale, who were the only two of Prince Of Penzance’s owners to make the trek — John from Ballarat, Darren from Melbourne — to Stawell on 8 March 2013.
With just six rivals for his debut in a 1300-metre maiden, Prince Of Penzance was right in the market — second favourite behind the ironically named You Can’t Beat Me.
It was hard for those on track to be confident however, John recalling that the young horse refused to behave. ‘He played up badly. The worst I have ever seen.’
By this stage Prince Of Penzance had been gelded, his behaviour more to do with a lack of maturity. He was never particularly colty, Darren Weir said. ‘John Foote told me that you have to geld the Pentires, so I took his advice.’
Fortunately, Prince Of Penzance put his excess energy into his race.
A little slowly away, Prince Of Penzance settled back, racing greenly (racing speak for a horse running a bit erratically due to a lack of experience) but picking himself up and charging late to overhaul the leader.
‘Prince Of Penzance is running him down in a hurry, and he’s got there,’ said the race caller.
It was not the first time Michelle Payne had been aboard the immature bay. She knew from track work and jump-outs that he was promising, but by winning