Luca Cumani was unable to gain a breakthrough win in the Melbourne Cup with leading contender Mount Athos finishing an unlucky fifth in the 2012 edition of the race that was run at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia yesterday.
The 2012 Melbourne Cup was run at a slow pace and left back makers, like Mount Athos and former winner Americain, with a very difficult task in the final 600 metres.
Mount Athos finished the race strongly but Cumani was left to bemoan what could have been after the son of Montjeu was heavily bumped as the field turned into the final straight.
“He got a couple of bad bumps on the bend, he got knocked around,” Cumani said.
“He has passed 10 horses in the last furlong [200m] and had the fastest finish in the race, but it was hard for him with the pace.
“I was surprised by how slow they went; they [the leaders] slowed it right down to a walk. You can’t do much about that.”
Cumani’s other galloper My Quest For Peace finished in the prizemoney but never looked like being a factor in the finish.
“He’s not a sprinter, that’s not his race, and he couldn’t pick up with those horses,” he said.
Marco Botti-trained Jakkalberry was the surprise packet of the race and ran on well to finished third.
Part-owner Darren Dance was delighted with the result and his patience with the horse being rewarded.
“I told anyone that would listen three months ago that he would run top five and everyone laughed at me,” Dance said
“He has run a great race, he’s a great stayer and we’ve all had an incredible day. He’ll go straight to Japan now.”
The Australian Spring Racing Carnival continues with the Crown Oaks tomorrow.
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