Joy for Newmarket's Eustace as the training duo with 600 horses capture the Cup
It is unusual for a journalist covering one of the world's greatest horseraces to suddenly find himself being hugged by an emotional stranger. It is, however, far from an unpleasant experience. Indeed, to be caught up in the euphoria of Gold Trip's Lexus Melbourne Cup triumph on Monday was a rare joy.
In Australia, the Cup reaches parts other races cannot reach. It is a treasure of the turf that sits within the soul of a nation. Among the winners of the 162nd Cup was a young Englishman whose rise to stardom has been remarkable, yet while David Eustace remained impressively composed, the significance of the moment was far from lost on him. For 'The Big D' – he was an extremely large baby – this was a very big day.
It was a day that started early. The opening race took place at 10.45am, 35 minutes before a McDonald's-sponsored handicap that some believe unearthed the winner of next year's Melbourne Cup over three hours before this year's Cup was run.
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