Japanese raiders Delta Blues and Pop Rock pulled off an unprecedented Melbourne Cup one-two for trainer Katsuhiko Sumii at Flemington this afternoon.
Delta Blues, ridden by Japanese jockey Yasunari Iwata, held off a fast-finishing Pop Rock (Damien Oliver) by a half-head in one of the most thrilling finishes to the Cup in recent years.
Saab Quality winner Maybe Better, trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith and ridden by Chris Munce, was a game third with Zipping (trained by Graeme Rogerson, ridden by Glenn Boss) fourth.
Delta Blues, who finished a fine third to Tawqeet in the Caulfield Cup last month in his only lead-up run on Australian soil, is just the third horse from outside either Australia or New Zealand to win the Melbourne Cup, following Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002).
The win is a first for an Asian horse and the first time a stallion has saluted since Jeune in 1994.
"I'm so happy. This is my biggest win ever," Iwata said.
Two-time Cup winner Oliver could not hide his admiration for Sumii and Iwata.
"When we crossed the line I held his (Iwata's) hand up, I thought he'd got me," he told Channel 7.
"It was a bit of a dual celebration because it was a fantastic feat for the Japanese to come here and quinella the Cup, it's just an extraordinary effort.
"I've got so much admiration for the Japanese horses, I've spent a couple of seasons there. I know how good they go and when I was offered the ride on one of them, I was pretty keen to take it up."
Oliver said he thought Pop Rock could catch Delta Blues.
"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.
"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."
Oliver dismissed any suggestion that Delta Blues shifted in front of Pop Rock down home straight.
"If anything I thought my horse shifted in, so it wasn't really a consideration for me," he said.
"My horse wanted to lay in a little bit under pressure but I think that's the reason he did it, because he was feeling the pressure."
Oliver said he would not be surprised if other Japanese trainers brought their horses to Australia to try their luck.
"Perhaps they will, as I said they're very good horses over there and with the prize money that's on offer over here for the Melbourne Cup, there could be more of them coming."
Yeats fades
The six-horse international contingent provided both the surprises and the disappointments of this year's race.
The next visiting horse home was the English galloper Land 'N Stars, who made vast improvement on his only other Australian start by finishing fifth. He is to remain in Australia to be prepared for the Perth Cup, run on New Year's Day.
Behind him came Ireland's champion stayer and pre-race favourite Yeats, who took up the running before the home turn only to fade into seventh place.
Jockey Keiran Fallon said the pace had not suited his horse.
"I had trouble getting the tempo right, it changed a lot," Fallon said. "We needed a faster pace and he didn't get it."
The English horse Glistening ran to his ability, finishing 10th, his trainer Luca Cumani expressing satisfaction with the run "under the circumstances".
"We had our problems from the time we arrived, but over the past week or so he had improved a lot," Cumani said. "I would say he ran as well as he could."
The main disappointment of the internationals was Geordieland, who was formerly trained in France.
Now with English trainer Jamie Osborne, the horse finished 18th after suffering a bleeding attack.
Pop Rock started equal favourite at 5-1, along with Tawqeet, who finished 19th.
-ABC/AFP
File photo of ''Delta Blues'' in the mounting yard prior to another race
The Japanese owned ''Delta Blues'' ridden by Iwata Yasunari has won the AU$5.1 million 2006 Melbourne Cup. Trainer Katsuhiko Sumii also achieved the Quinella winning bet with stablemate ''Pop Rock'', ridden by Damien Oliver, placing second in the race. ''Maybe Better'' came in at third, with ''Zipping'' posting a fourth place finish. Pre-race favourite ''Yeates'' missed the start, finishing seventh. 

After the race, jockey Iwata joyfully shouted "Very happy, very happy. My biggest winner ever."

''Zabeat'' was the last finisher in a 23-horse field that was reduced in number after the early morning scratching from the race of ''Efficient'' with leg soreness.

Australians bet over $50 million dollars on the race, with ''Delta Blues'' paying $17.50 for the win, which made it the first horse from Japan to have won the race in the 145 year history of the Melbourne Cup.