Weld praises O'Brien's Melbourne Cup win as 'a wonderful achievement'

Dermot Weld, the first northern hemisphere trainer to win the Melbourne Cup, has described Joseph O'Brien's victory in this year's race with Rekindling as "a wonderful achievement".

Weld, who won the 'race that stops a nation' with Vintage Crop in 1993 and again with Media Puzzle in 2002, said: "A one-two-three in the Melbourne Cup was a tremendous result for Irish racing and a wonderful achievement by Joseph.

"I watched the race and thought it was a very good renewal."

Rekindling became the first international contender to win the Cup without a previous run in Australia since Vintage Crop's history-making victory 24 years earlier.

Weld said: "It's hard to believe that Vintage Crop's win was so long ago. When he won I said his victory would open up the race as an international event and that is what has happened over the years with so many European-trained horses taking up the challenge.

"We had hoped to run Vintage Crop in the race the year before he won it, but that wasn't possible for quarantine reasons. A lot has changed over the years and the Cup is now a major international event."

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