Heartbreak for Martin in year of ups and downs

What a terrific effort by Heartbreak City in the Melbourne Cup. Tony Martin did Irish racing proud by going so close in the great Australian race, the focus of major interest in Europe since Dermot Weld's pioneering achievements with Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle.

Melbourne Cup result and analysis

Wins for Americain, Dunaden and Protectionist mean that a European victory has perhaps lost something of the mystique that was a feature of Weld's successes. However, this second successive runner-up spot for Ireland, after Max Dynamite for Willie Mullins last year, is bound to whet the appetite for more raids.