Fourth again

THIRD time wasn’t quite the charm for Vlad Duric in yesterday’s Melbourne Cup.
The Nar Nar Goon jockey piloted seven-year-old stayer Master O’Reilly ($12) into fourth place in the iconic race at Flemington, following the same result in the 2008 Cup and an eighth placing in 2007.
Duric and the Danny O’Brien-trained gelding settled well back in the field from a wide barrier, before moving up on the outside approaching the final straight.
The Master battled on bravely towards the finishing post, but didn’t have the acceleration to challenge eventual winner Shocking and runner-up Crime Scene.
Duric, who flew in from duties in Singapore for the ride, said he was more than satisfied with the result, which was worth $220,000 to the connections.
“He gave me a nice ride, but we just needed them (the field) to go a bit quicker in the run,” he reflected from the mounting yard.
“Drawing wide, we had to go back and hope the tempo was on – we knew that from the start.
“The middle of the race was probably the difference.”
The speed of the race may not have suited Master O’Reilly, but Duric was quick to praise the horse’s connections for giving him another crack at Australia’s premier race.
“It’s always a great thrill to line up in a Melbourne Cup,” he said. “It’s a dream of every jockey and I’m really privileged to be able to ride three Melbourne Cups on Master O’Reilly.”
Duric’s whirlwind Cup tilt finished with a 9.30pm flight back to Singapore last night. O’Brien was non-committal on Master O’Reilly’s future and the prospect of a fourth Melbourne Cup campaign.
Duric spoke exclusively to the Gazette’s Brad Kingsbury on the eve of the yesterday’s race. For the full story, turn to page 10.