Sport

Greg Radley's Roughhouse Tactics

It was rough all right. In fact, probably the roughest of the twentieth century.

Not that too many of us have been around long enough to watch one hundred years of the Melbourne Cup, but we can assume.

Twenty-one of the 24 horses to start in the race that stops a nation were mentioned in the steward's report.

Regarded by many as Australia's best jockey, Damian Oliver described it as the roughest Cup he has ever ridden in.

"He (Sky Heights) hit the rail about five times and by the time I asked him to come into the race he'd had enough," Oliver said after the race.

Sky Height's trainer Colin Alderson described his talented stayer as stiff and sore the day after the Cup.

The brothers Cassidy also had there say after the race with Jimmy being the second most affected rider in the race behind Grant Cooksley who came to grief at the 1400 metres mark when thrown from Able Master.

"The first 200 metres I was lucky to stay up and the last 200 metres I nearly fell," Jim Cassidy was quoted in the Daily Telegraph.

"It's as rough a race as I've ever ridden in," he said.

His younger brother Larry, Sydney's premier jockey said that the Melbourne Cup made the Golden Slipper interference look like a Sunday walk.

So from start to finish there seemed to something happening out on the track.

Chairman of Stewards Des Gleeson blamed the slow early pace for the trouble.

Although punters who backed horses which seemed to have no chance because of the interference were left feeling sorry for them selves, Gleeson can lay claim to be the most disappointed man on the track.

New Zealand jockey Garry Grylls was the only jockey to be suspended out of the race.

Stewards could not lay any blame with any other jockeys and carpeted Grylls for causing interference down the famous Flemington straight on the first occasion.

The "rough cup" in summery goes like this.

Twenty-four horses faced the starter, 23 finished.

One jockey suspended, 21 of them looking white, one in hospital and one winner - John Marshall.

But I have not yet made mention of Australia's "national treasure" the great Bart Cummings who for the eleventh time tasted Melbourne Cup success -or 12 if you count the time he was strapper for his Dad Jim when Comic Court won the Cup in 1950.

This time it was with a seven-year-old gelding from Perth called Rogan Josh and as rough as that Cup might have been the big story of the day was left for the man known as "Bart" or the "Cups King"

He has created a record of eleven Melbourne Cup victories that can only ever be beaten by Bart himself.

And believe me he started eyeing number twelve as of Wednesday.

Greg Radley presents the 2KY morning sports show every weekday

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»	Guest Report
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»	Piers Watch

»	Lines of Demarcation
»	Referendum? No Dam(n) Choice!
»	With Friends Like These ...
»	Get Real

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