Chevalier Rose runs to disappointing 23rd place in Melbourne Cup

Chevalier Rose

Chevalier Rose failed to catch a break as the JRA’s 7-year-old trained by Hisashi Shimizu finished 23rd out of 24 in the Grade 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday (Nov. 4).

Chevalier Rose was posted No. 5 but could not make the most out of the favorable draw, leaving late and unable to make up ground in the 3,200-meter race.

Half Yours held off Goodie Two Shoes by almost three lengths for a 3 minute, 22.46 second victory on slightly yielding conditions. Half Yours was ridden by Jamie Melham, who became the first-ever female jockey to cap the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double.

Shimizu said the poor start by his Deep Impact son, out of Viane Rose, was just too much to overcome.

“He was positioned a lot further back than we had hoped. The result is what it is,” said Shimizu, who took a shot at Australia’s most prestigious race for the first time in six years, when his Mer de Glace finished sixth off triumph in the Caulfield Cup.

“I think the trip here itself went well because since arriving in Australia, we’ve had zero concerns through today. How it ended is certainly disappointing but at the same time, it’s already made me want to try again. We’ll be back at it.”

Chevalier Rose’s jockey Damian Lane largely echoed the trainer, saying the horse did not have an opportunity to race like he can.

“It’s a disappointing result. He stood up in his stall and we couldn’t get the position we wanted,” Lane said.

“He traveled well during the first half of the race but didn’t have it in the end. He was not at his best. I appreciate all the support for Chevalier Rose and I will keep doing everything I can to make it work.”

Chevalier Rose is a late bloomer. The Melbourne Cup was his 36th career start and only produced his first graded win last October in the G2 Kyoto Daishoten, followed by the Stayers Stakes, also G2.

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