Why Carnage Lost the Melbourne Cup.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 133, 5 December 1893, Page 2

Why Carnage Lost the Melbourne Cup .

"A Cup Thrown Away," is the heading placed by « Nemo," the talented contributor to the Sydney Mail, in penning a comment on the recent V.R.O. Meeting; and in proceeding to show how the Melbourne Cup was lost and won, he says :— "When the horses had settled into their stride Carnage took upon himself the responsibility of command. As the Derby winner forced the running past the stand and along the river side to the bridge it was momentarily expected that his rider would take a pull, oufc Moran never eased for one stride all through the bitter, terrible battle. Never for an instant was the colt . allowed a n-.oment's peace, and surprise was plainly depicted upon the faces of the cognoscenti as he entered the straight with the lead, and made a bee line for home. But flesh and blood could not withstand such an unnatural strain, and, after having shaken off challenge after challenge, his beautiful stride shortened, and he began to reel out and fail as the distance was reached. But the winning post was still far away— as far off as the Russian guns must have appeared to Nolan in that terrible Balaclava charge through shot and shell on that ever-memorable day. Moran, with a face drawn mth anxiety, glanced to the right and left, but kept his colt close into the rails. There was danger on the right, and it came from whence little expected, for Tarcoola, leaving a sorely-troubled held, caught the wearied-out Derby winner at every stride, and, amidst an uproar seldom heard even at Flemington, fairly wore the gallant chestnut down, and catching him under punishment, defeated him by half a length, and so won the coveted Cup. The public lost almost to a man, therefore it was not surprising that the victory ot the outsider was received in comparative silence. Jeweller, who came with his customary ill-timed run, was only beaten for second place by half a head, and his position caused people to wonder how he lost the Oaulfield Cup. Loyalty, who had been interfered with, and had had a bad run, struggled home "a good fourth. An exhaustive description of how the race was won and lost has already appeared in your columns, so that there is no necessity to travel over the well-beaten path again; but there is not a shadow of doubt in my mind that, had Carnage not been made so much use of, he would have got home in safety. To make all the running in a race like the Melbourne Cup was a desperate task to set a three-year-old. Yet he very nearly accomplished it, and by his performance has established his right to be considered one of the best colts that ever placed a hoof on a racecourse in Australia."