November 03, 2009 17:21 PM

Disappointing Day For Malaysian Magnate At Melbourne Cup

By Neville D'Cruz

MELBOURNE, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Wealthy Malaysian horseowner Datuk Tan Chin Nam had a disappointing day at the Melbourne Cup races at the Flemington Racecourse here on Tuesday.

Four of his runners - two of them favourites and the other two highly fancied - finished well back in the field.

Tan's last year's Melbourne Cup winner "Viewed" was tipped to have back-to-back wins in the A$6 million Cup race, but it finished a dismal seventh.

Stablemates in the same race "Alleze Wonder" finished 16th and well-backed "Roman Emperor" third last in the 23-horse event.

The Cup was won by Australian stayer "Shocking", followed by Middle East owned "Crime Scene" and "Mourilyan", owned by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

Earlier, in Race 3, top fancied "Think Money", owned by Tan, fell out of contention after a good start.

All four of Tan's runners were trained by the legendary Bart Cummings.

Cummings, the winner of 12 Melbourne Cups, took today's losses on the chin.

After speaking briefly to reporters, the revered trainer said: "Never mind, we'll just have to come back next year. Now we've got to go and find Chin Nam and cheer him up. He's had three losers all in one race."

Still chuckling at his own joke, Cummings said next Thursday's Oaks favourite "Faint Perfume", also owned by Tan, might be leading his Melbourne Cup charge next year.

Tan and Cummings have combined well to win the Toorak Handicap, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate this Spring Racing Carnival. They have Cox Plate winner "So You Think" in the Emirates Stakes on Saturday.

-- BERNAMA

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