Horse Racing: Oliver wins a cup he'd happily give back

There was a moment Tuesday that touched everybody who saw it.

It came as Damien Oliver rode pre-race favourite, Media Puzzle to victory in the 142nd Melbourne Cup.

Oliver, whose brother Jason died in training fall just one week ago in Western Australia, had astounded all in the lead-up to the Cup with his determination to fulfill a commitment to riding the Irish stayer.

"It's not fair to the people who have faith in you to let your mind wander," he'd said.

Oliver, wearing his brother's breeches as a tribute, rode a prefect race, keeping Media Puzzle in good position throughout, before hitting the lead with 600m to run.

From there, Media Puzzle was never going to be headed and as Oliver surged past the post to victory, he stood tall in the irons, lifting the whip to his lips and rolling his gaze skywards; a moment viewed by millions, but shared with no one other than his brother.

At the presentation, Oliver said what didn't need to be, "I know you're up there, mate. I couldn't have done it without you."

For the Oliver family, who were watching at Flemington and at home in Western Australia, it was an emotional day. This racing clan has been struck by tragedy before. Damien and Jason's father was killed in a race fall in 1975. Damien dedicated his 1995 victory on Doreimus to the man he never had a chance to know.

Australia is a country that quite often overstates the importance of sport and its players in society. Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday in the state of Victoria and is treated as a virtual holiday across the rest of the nation with champagne soaked lunches conducted in offices, pubs and clubs. Men and women dress in ludicrously expensive and extravagant clothes and it is generally seen as a day of decadence. Millions of dollars are gambled and lost, all with the aim of winning "The Cup."

Damien Oliver winning Tuesday was not some serendipitous story with a fairytale ending. This was real and it was one sentence from Oliver, when speaking about winning the cup, which resonated deeply across the land, "I'd give it right back now to have my brother back."

Every year there are many stories attached to "The Cup." Jardine's Lookout traveled all the way from Great Britain with a 14-year-old Shetland pony named, Henry as company. It seems Jardine's gets very anxious when his mate's not around and so his owners paid $50,000 to have the pony brought to Melbourne as well. Henry accompanied Jardine's Lookout on all his training runs and even had a stall next to the cup contender at Flemington.

Then there was the trainer of runner-up Mr Prudent, George Hanlon, who is either 84 or 85; he's not sure since he lost his driver's license.

So much is made of the Melbourne Cup and "Cup Day" in this country, it is somewhat reassuring to hear one of this year's integral players, in the winning jockey, acknowledge that as important as it is, it is not life or death.

Damien flew back to Perth this morning to attend the funeral of Jason and to witness his burial in the grave next to that of their father.