Cup bubbles over as Dunaden rules track

ERIN PEARSON
FRANCE conquered the Geelong Cup for a second year on the trot when galloper Dunaden won the $225,000 group-three race on Wednesday.
Jockey Craig Williams rode the French six-year-old to victory after a comfortable start from barrier eight.
Dunaden, who won despite carrying the race’s heaviest jockey at 58kg, had six wins prior to fielding Geelong.
Williams, one of the world’s richest 2400m jockeys, rode Dunaden fresh from a win at last weekend’s $2.5 million Caufield Cup atop Southern Speed.
The Mikel Delzangles-trained horse started with $5 odds, with $3.5 cup favorite Tanby finishing a close second and Irish beauty Bauer in third.
Rebel Soldier and Red Eye Special pushed to a slender lead early in front of heavily backed I Am Jake in third.
But Dunaden took over on the inside with 200m to go in his first start on Australian soil.
The victory followed another French win in last year’s Geelong Cup to Americain.
Also French-trained, Amer-icain went on to clinch the Melbourne Cup.
The win topped off a sweltering 30-degree day at Geelong Racecourse for more than 15,000 punters.
Temperatures at the course were still hovering around 30C after the cup was finished at 5pm.
Geelong Police Inspector Chris Gawne praised patrons for their behaviour.
He said the crowd was “well-behaved” throughout the day, with police laying just two arrests and a couple of evictions for drunken behaviour prior to the main race.
Insp Gawne said warm weather and alcohol were often a potent mix.
“It was the first hot day Geelong’s had in a while. It can create a few problems but we had a lot of police in place to ensure crowds behaved.
“This year’s event was spaced out really well, which helps also.”
Geelong Nightlife Associ-ation president and hotelier Darren Holroyd said more than 1000 patrons visited his Lamby’s Marquee with little trouble.