<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYou\u2019re probably looking for trouble when you start openly punting a horse as the \u2018reincarnation of Phar Lap\u2019. Yet this is exactly what Les Benton, Racing Victoria\u2019s racing manager, did ahead of Oscar Schindler’s run in the 1996 Melbourne Cup. Others predicted that this Irish trained racehorse would finish 50 lengths ahead of the field, based largely on his win in the Irish St Leger earlier that season. As it turned out, not only does pride come before a fall, but Bart Cummings\u2019 Saintly came 14 places before Oscar Schindler, as the hyped up 4\/1 favourite came home in 15th place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Septimus \u2013 2003<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter the failures of the two UK stayers already discussed, one could have expected pundits to be somewhat more reserved in their enthusiasm for foreign entries. However, Septimus proved too tantalizing a prospect, and this Irish stallion started the 2008 Melbourne Cup as a 5\/1 favourite. Enthusiasm over his prospects was based on a successful season in Ireland which had seen him win two stayers\u2019 races, including a 13 length win in the Irish St Leger. The Melbourne Cup put his ability as a stayer into perspective as he ran home 18th out of 24 entries, while the win went to Australian mare, Viewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>So You Think \u2013 2010<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNot all the big Melbourne Cup flops have been produced by foreign entries. Bart Cumming\u2019s So You Think was so hyped up ahead of the 2010 Melbourne Cup that he started the race as the shortest priced favourite in 40 years. While his four Group 1 wins ahead of the Melbourne Cup were indeed impressive, his many backers failed to take into account the fact that he\u2019d never run a distance over 2040 meters. To his credit, So You Think gave the race everything he had, eventually settling for a respectable 3rd place that nevertheless left millions of punters two places short of a profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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