2008 Melbourne Cup

Trainer Luca Cumani of Bauer, finishing a close second two years in a row, said, "I suppose a dead-heat will be next. I would have settled for one today. We are (getting closer), but not close enough, not good enough. Once they flashed past the post, you were just hoping. It was an agonising 30 seconds. We were hoping that we might have done it, but we didn't do it. I've said all along that Bauer is a fighter, a terrier. He never knows when he's beaten, likes fast ground and really appreciated it today. He also liked the fast pace."

Jockey Corey Brown added, "I reckon his run may have ended just about 25m out but, to his credit, the last two strides he really had a dive at the line, but it wasn't good enough. My biggest disappointment, no doubt."