1993 – a turning point in the Cup’s History

With any great triumph, comes precision planning. 

When you think of the first international victory in the Melbourne Cup, you go straight to Vintage Crop back in 1993. You think of Dermot Weld reciting Banjo Patterson at the post race press conference and a cool calm, Mick Kinane returning to scale holding a miniature Irish flag, gleefully applauding the deeds of his wiry chestnut gelding. 

When I think of Vintage Crop’s victory, I think a little differently. 

I think of former VRC (Victoria Racing Club) Chairman, David Bourke; VRC Chief Executive, Rod Johnson; the VRC’s Racing Manager, Les Benton and Daily Telegraph journalist and BBC commentator, Jim McGrath (yes, my eldest brother). For these were the gentlemen in the engine room, plotting a course several months earlier that would change the face of the Melbourne Cup, forever. And for some, it was not before time, but more about that later.  

Poetically, a couple of years ago on the first Tuesday in March as opposed to November, I got to have lunch in the Melbourne CBD with Rod Johnson, and Jim McGrath, who lives in the UK. 

Apart from the novelty of having your eldest brother shout you lunch, there was the appreciation of spending time with two men who left their mark on Australia’s greatest race. It was also the appreciation that these two gentlemen know their racing.  

I get accused, on occasions by my own kids, of ‘flexing’ so to speak – looking for any opportunity to download miscellaneous facts about the thoroughbred industry. Flexing with these two gentlemen is probably like taking on Federer and Nadal in a friendly game of tennis. Instinctively, you will not get past them. 

But back to 1993 and the Melbourne Cup. 

The lead up to this Cup was telling. The Hong Kong Internationals had commenced in 1989; the Dubai World Cup was talked about and the Japan Cup – first run in 1981 – was all the rage for the southern hemisphere participants who happened to win the 1989 and 1990 renewals courtesy of Horlicks and Better Loosen Up.  

The early nineties produced Cup winners Kingston Rule (1990); Let’s Elope (1991) and Subzero (1992), all worthy Cup victors, but there were trainers and owners seemingly by-passing the Melbourne Cup for bigger spoils. Naturalism targeted the Japan Cup (2nd; 1992) where the likes of Almaarad (1989) was more worried about how his CV would look like going to stud as opposed to etching his name in Australian folklore. 

Administrators were reeling; the Cup was losing its lustre and, believe it or not, there was even loose talk of converting the great race to weight for age! Sacrilege for most racing purists who respect the age-old tradition of the Cup being run over two miles and under handicap conditions. But something had to change.    

Along came the quartet of Bourke, Johnson, Benton and McGrath. 

Not much was outwardly said in the initial stages other than the VRC Committee was keen to internationalise the race. After meeting David Bourke and Rod Johnson in Hong Kong in December, 1992, Jim listened to the VRC hierarchy and suggested if they get their act together there could be a chance of securing a couple of international runners for the next Cup. 

Asked if the VRC Committee of the time was in favour, Rodney Johnson suggested there was unanimous support. 

“There was no argument,” Johnson recalled at the lunch. 

“The VRC was very keen to move towards internationalising the race,” he stated. 

But setting an objective for international participation is one thing but achieving it is another. 

Les Benton, VRC Racing Manager at the time was the perfect representative liaising with potential participants to orchestrate the master stroke, but it would be a combined effort across the board which saw Lord Huntington, the trainer of Drum Taps and Dermot Weld (Vintage Crop) trek the unthinkable journey.  

Jim Bolger, a noted rival of Weld’s back in Ireland, was quoted as saying upon Vintage Crop’s victory. ‘It’s an outstanding achievement,’ he said. ‘In terms of what is involved it rates with any of the best training performances from Ireland on the international front. Possibly, it’s the best. Dermot has been a pioneer traveller and I’m delighted that he has done it and shown the way for others to follow.’ 

For Rod and Jim, the lunch was not all about self-indulged reminiscing but catching up with two old friends who hatched a plan which changed the face of Australia’s greatest race. Oh, and yes, there were plenty of other topics discussed – all done so with the utmost respect by two men who have come across the biggest names in the global game over the past 50 years.  

As for that fateful time back in 1993, I have my own recollection having been entrusted with chauffeuring the likes of a young Frankie Dettori and an Irish genius Mick Kinane around the stretches between Flemington and Sandown where the internationals were being trained. Not sure what they thought of my two-door red Honda Civic at the time, but all I can remember was an exuberant Frankie Dettori and a noticeably quiet Mick Kinane.  

I can remember even more vividly the reverse reaction when Vintage Crop won. The Irish eyes were well and truly smiling. And the quartet of Bourke, Johnson, Benton and McGrath were comfortable in their own minds that a seemingly impossible climb to the summit was reached. 

Aside from the pleasantries of a family catch up was the acknowledgement of one of the great racing administrators, Rodney Johnson. The right man to head the Victoria Racing Club at the time (1986–1994), Johnson’s legacy will be forever etched in the annals of the VRC. Along with the internationalisation of the Melbourne Cup he was also instrumental in the privatisation of the TAB – but that is for another lunch.

Recently, Johnson was seen at the unveiling of the VRC Honour Boards at Flemington back in June. As he proudly looked at his inclusion of one of only 14 secretaries/CEOs of the VRC, he can take solace that his contribution has left a lasting legacy.