Japan celebrates double

Delta Blues held off his stablemate Pop Rock in a thrilling photo-finish to lead a Japanese one-two in yesterday's 146th running of the Melbourne Cup. The two stallions, both trained by Katsuhiko Sumii and owned by the Yoshida family which runs the world's biggest thoroughbred stud farm, burst clear down the final stretch, with Delta Blues emerging victorious by half a head before a crowd of 106,691.

Maybe Better, ridden by Australian jockey Chris Munce who is facing corruption charges in Hong Kong, fought on doggedly to take third place yesterday, four-and-a-half lengths behind the runner-up.

Champion Irish stayer Yeats was seventh and Arab-owned joint favourite Tawqeet 19th.

Delta Blues, who started at odds of 18-1, became the first Asian-trained horse to win Australia's richest and most famous horse race, first run in 1861, and only the third winner prepared outside of Australia and New Zealand.

The other two, Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002), were both trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld.

Perfectly ridden by Yasunari Iwata, the six-year-old Delta Blues raced near the lead for the entire 3,200-metre journey but surged past Yeats to the front rounding the final turn.

"I rode in a very positive way so that we would not have any regrets. I did a positive racing style," said Iwata.

Pop Rock, ridden by Australia's Damien Oliver who won on Doriemus in 1995 and again on Media Puzzle, was heavily backed in the last hour before the race to start equal favourite at 6-1.

The six-year-old Pop Rock looked certain to win when he loomed up on Delta Blues in the final furlong but just could not find a way past his stablemate.

Katsuhiko Sumii became the first trainer to train the first two horses in the Melbourne Cup since Bart Cummings in 1991.

"I thought I was going to pick him up, I got to him but to the other horse's credit, the winner, he really fought when I came to him," Oliver said in a televised interview.

"He's just a bit more seasoned and a bit tougher than my horse and he fought him off. He's the deserved winner, my horse had his chance.

"It was a fantastic feat for the Japanese, it's just an extraordinary effort."

While British and European trained horses have been trying to win the Melbourne Cup for well over a decade, Japanese trainers have only just started showing interest in the gruelling handicap.

Eye Popper started as one of the favourites in last year's race after a gallant second in the Caulfield Cup, the traditional lead-up race, but failed to make any impression as Australia's mighty mare Makybe Diva galloped to an historic third victory.

Delta Blues and Pop Rock also raced in the Caulfield Cup, finishing third and seventh respectively, but were overlooked in the early betting markets in favour of Tawqeet, Yeats and Efficient, a lightly-raced three-year-old who stormed into the race with a brilliant win in last Saturday's VRC Derby.

There was drama before yesterday's race when Efficient was scratched because of a sore knee and Caulfield Cup winner Tawqeet was almost pulled out because of a hoof problem.

Tawqeet was never in the hunt when the 23 runners left the barriers and only beat four runners home while Yeats was the only European horse that looked to have any chance.

The Ascot Gold Cup winner led with 800m to run but wilted under the burden of carrying the top weight of 59 kilos.

"He just didn't have the finishing kick. Our stayers just don't have the kick like they do here," Irish jockey Kieren Fallon said.

"As soon as I felt the Japanese horses breathing down my neck I knew I was in trouble."