Foolish Pleasure Descendent Viewed Wins Melbourne Cup!

Easily one of the best races of the year—fantastic! Congratulations to 21-year-old Blake Shinn on his first G1 Melbourne Cup win, and trainer Bart Cummings on winning his 12th. Australia can be proud that the world’s most prestigious stayer race was won by an Australian horse, Viewed.

And, for this American, I’m busting with pride too, because the winner is a direct descendent of my favorite horse Foolish Pleasure, as his sire Scenic is by Sadler’s Wells out of the Foolish Pleasure mare Idyllic—one helluva good cross!

Viewed paid $186.00 win, $57.70 place, and $29.10 show. It was not favorite Mad Rush, but Luca Cumani’s other entry Bauer ($24.10 place, $16.40 show) who got up for second, while C’est La Guerre ($25.20 show) fleshed out a $1 trifecta that paid $45,979.40. Unfortunately, I only had a show bet on Viewed, but when you have a limited bankroll you don’t enjoy the big payoffs—so I’ll be going work tomorrow par usual.

Shocking that all three of Aidan O'Brien's went to the lead—and all three finished at the back of the field. After the race, the Flemington stewards brought in all three jockeys, evidently to discuss their race tactics which obviously blew up in their faces.

I’m pleased I positively mentioned the first nine finishers—no prize for that, however.

The complete order of finish:

1. Viewed
2. Bauer
3. C’est La Guerre
4. Master O’Reilly
5. Profound Beauty
6. Moatize
7. Mad Rush
8. Nom Du Jeu
9. Zipping
10. Newport
11. Ice Chariot
12. Guyno
13. Littorio
14. Varevees
15. Boundless
16. Red Lord
17. Prize Lady
18. Septimus
19. Barbaricus
20. Alessandro Volta
21. Honolulu
22. Gallopin