Well-backed Magic Circle out of the prize-money after breaking blood vessel

While British-trained horses recorded a one-two-three in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, the horse the local punters most expected to do the business – Magic Circle displaced Yucatan as favourite on the TAB shortly before the off – fared worst of the finishers after breaking a blood vessel.

The Ian Williams and Marwan Koukash axis carried extreme confidence into the race and when the heavens opened yesterday morning all of Australia decided Koukash would indeed be accepting the trophy in a g-string as he had threatened beforehand.

With soft ground form, the stamina for further and colourful connections, Magic Circle was the most popular choice but the son of Makfi finished out of the prize-money.

After initially tweeting the horse had come out of the race fine, Williams later added: "In a post-race scope Magic Circle was found to have broken a blood vessel during today’s Cup. I hope he has a speedy recovery."

Cross Counter beats Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran in the Melbourne CupCredit: Robert Cianflone (Getty Images)

It was a sad day for Aidan O'Brien as The Cliffsofmoher broke down in the home straight the first time around and had to be put down. Favourite with the British bookmakers Yucatan snuck into the money in 11th but was reportedly found lame on his near foreleg. Rostropovich fared best of his trio in fifth.

O'Brien's travelling head lad TJ Comerford said of The Cliffsofmoher: "For that to happen was just a bit sickening, for it to end like that." On the yard's other two runners, he added: "Rostropovich ran a good race and maybe it's a race to bring a three-year-old over for. There was a three-year-old winner and our lad ran well from a bad draw.

"Yucatan seemed all right when I brought him home, he was probably a bit sore more than lame, he was fine when we got back to quarantine. I think the ground was a big issue, it's amazing really as it was so quick there on Saturday and for that to be the problem today is a surprise. He's a good moving horse so he probably needs the ground to be at his best."

As for the ground, 5mm was put on overnight and then the heavens opened. More than two inches of rain in two hours took the track from a good 4 to a heavy 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10). A few hours of sunshine took it back to a soft 6 before the Cup.

Last year's fifth Nakeeta occupied the final paid position in 12th, while Best Solution finished eighth with Muntahaa, for whom the weather was a disadvantage, in ninth.

Saeed Bin Suroor said of his Caulfield Cup winner: "He ran well, he missed the break and was too far back in the run, but I'm happy for Charlie as he won the race and it's great for us."

Angus Gold, racing manager to Muntahaa’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “Jim [Crowley, jockey] said he never travelled like he did in the Ebor. Whether it was the rain, the travel to get here or the fact this is the end of the year, who knows?

"We were perfectly happy with the run but he was just more laboured today. To travel a horse this far is not easy, so for all those connected with the first three horses it’s a fantastic achievement."

Melbourne Cup result

How the British and Irish fared

1 Cross Counter (Charlie Appleby)
2 Marmelo (Hughie Morrison)
3 A Prince Of Arran (Charlie Fellowes)
5 Rostropovich (Aidan O'Brien)
8 Best Solution (Saeed Bin Suroor)
9 Muntahaa (John Gosden)
11 Yucatan (Aidan O'Brien)
12 Nakeeta (Iain Jardine)
16 Magic Circle (Ian Williams)
PU The Cliffsofmoher

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