Charlie Appleby says Godolphin victory at Melbourne Cup was a dream come true

LONDON: Charlie Appleby admitted he was able to tick off one of his bucket list items having trained Cross Counter to Melbourne Cup glory.
The English stayer, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, gave Dubai-based Godolphin, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, their first victory in the “Race that stops a nation.”
That left Appleby overjoyed, having helped “the Boys in Blue” break their Melbourne Cup duck.
“When I was lucky enough to get the job, I said there were two things I wanted to do — win the Derby and the Melbourne Cup,” the Godolphin trainer said.
“I’d like to say I was going to repeat it, but it’s going to be a pretty tall order.
“This is a race we have been trying to win for years and I’m just fortunate to turn up with the right horse.
“This is huge for everybody. It’s a dream. (This has been on) my bucket list for a long time.”
It was only Cross Counter’s — a four-year-old bay gelding — eighth start, but he had missed a top-two finish only once.
Marmelo was second and A Prince of Arran two lengths behind in third.
The winner stormed down from the outside in the final several hundred meters for a length victory. Cross Counter was third-last on the first turn.
McEvoy, who won the Melbourne Cup for the third time, said: “What a field to do it in. Charlie and myself used to travel to Doncaster and Chester and all of the tracks up north in England, back when I was over there riding, and all of those miles meant this, winning the Melbourne Cup.” AN