Melbourne Cup-winning jockey to honour awesome promise to wife
Kerrin McEvoy’s historic ride on Cross Counter in the Melbourne Cup may have come at a big cost, after making a stunning promise to his wife Cathy before the race.
Speaking to media on Monday, McEvoy revealed he had promised to buy his kids a swimming pool and his wife a house if he won – and now he’s set to honour his word.
“I did promise (the kids) a swimming pool,” McEvoy said.
“But Cathy and I have been looking around for a bigger house, and I said to one of the Herald Sun reporters, if I won I’d buy Cathy a new house.
“So look out!”
Cross Counter ended two decades of Melbourne Cup frustration for the powerful global stable Godolphin by winning Australia’s greatest horse race.
On a rain-affected track and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy for trainer Charlie Appleby, Cross Counter defeated Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran in an all-northern hemisphere finish.
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McEvoy’s great triumph was also Cathy’s first time seeing him win the Melbourne Cup, which he has managed to achieve on three occasions.
“I said to Kerrin last night, because I missed out when he won on Almandin when I was pregnant,’please win it tomorrow because I feel like I’m here and I missed out that year’,” she said.
“So I can’t believe it.
“I’ll be definitely on the lookout (for a house) now.”
Starting a $9 chance, Cross Counter settled in the second half of the field but producing a stirring finish to overhaul Marmelo ($12) who was initially being hailed the winner for Hugh Bowman.
McEvoy now has three Melbourne Cups after winning the race on Brew as an apprentice in 2000 and Almandin in 2016.
“I was back a bit further than what I wanted,” McEvoy said.
“I had to go my own way and we were full of running. I thought mate, is this happening again? And yeah look, I’m just lucky I can ride light on these lovely stayers prepared unbelievably well by Godolphin and Charlie Appleby.”
The race was marred by the Aidan O’Brien-trained The Cliffsofmoher breaking down with a reported fractured shoulder as the field passed the winning post the first time.
The horse was euthanised after the race.
Race-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy was a stable rider for Godolphin before parting ways to ride freelance in 2014.
Two of his three Cup wins have come since that move.
Appleby said it was every trainer’s dream to win the Melbourne Cup.
“This is all down to Sheikh Mohammad. He’s the one that’s given us the encouragement to take the chances in what we do,” he said.
“We have campaigned over here the last three years now and have been competitive but we have always learnt each trip what horse we felt was going to be needed on the big day.”
At only his eighth start, Cross Counter also becomes the first English-trained horse to win with Britain ending its race hoodoo in style as the four-year-old beat Marmelo by a length.
with AAP.