Six-year-old Japanese racehorse Delta Blues won the 2006 Melbourne Cup run at 3pm, Tuesday, November 7, Australian eastern daylight saving time, at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse.
This was only the third time a foreign horse had won the Cup, following Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002). It was also the first time the Cup had been won by a horse from Asia.
Second place was taken by Pop Rock, another six-year-old. Both Delta Blues and Pop Rock were trained by Katsuhiko Sumii of Japan.
In third place was the Aussie gelding Maybe Better.
Cup favorite
A favorite to win the Cup was Tawqeet, winner of the Caulfield Cup held on October 21 at Melbourne's Caulfield Racecourse.
Tawqeet was trained by David Hayes whose horses in 2006 had won the Blue Diamond Stakes (Nadeem, with Miss Finland second), Golden Slipper (Miss Finland) and Caulfield Cup (Tawqeet).
Fancied runners
Nudging Tawqeet for early favoritism was the Irish stayer Yeats which arrived in Australia in mid-October 2006 with the Melbourne Cup in mind.
The New Zealand three-year-old gelding Efficient, winner of the Victoria Derby on November 4, qualified for the Cup and was vying for favoritism when it was scratched from the race in the early morning of November 7.
Betting changes
On the eve of the Melbourne Cup, at 10.30pm, November 6, Australian eastern daylight saving time, Tawqeet remained the favorite, with Efficient coming up second favorite before the Victoria Derby winner was scratched.
In the third line of betting at the time were Tawqeet and Pop Rock.
Betting changes were expected as the day progressed.
The 2006 field
Number, Horse, Trainer, Jockey, Weight, Barrier
- Yeats (Ire), A O'Brien, K Fallon, 59, 4
- Delta Blues (Jpn), Katsuhiko Sumii, Y Iwata, 56, 11
- Railings, J Hawkes, D Beadman, 55.5, 2
- Tawqeet (USA), D Hayes, D Dunn, 55.5, 9
- Georgieland (Fr), J Osborne, L Dettori, 54, 10
- Headturner, J Hawkes, G J Childs, 54, 19
- Short Pause (GB), D Hayes, N Callow, 53.5, 17
- Activation, G Rogerson, M Rodd, 53, 22
- Land 'n Stars, J Poulton, J Egan, 53, 6
- Mahtoum, Ms K Moore, C W Brown, 53, 7
- On a Jeune, P Montgomery, D Gauci, 53 15
- Pop Rock (Jpn), K Sumii, D Oliver, 53, 12
- Zipping, G Rogerson, G Boss, 52.5, 20
- Dizelle, J Hawkes, B Shinn, 52, 21
- Ice Chariot, R Maund, J Byrne, 52, 1
- Kerry O'Reilly (NZ), J Gibbs, G Lammas, 52, 5
- Zabeat (NZ), Ms D Logan, O Deleuze, 52, 16
- Art Success (NZ), J K Collins, T Pattillo, 51.5, 13
- Demerger, D O'Brien, S Baster, 51, 23
- Glistening (GB), L Cumano, S Seamer, 51, 24
- Mandela (NZ), R Yuill, C Williams, 51, 14 [
- Dolphin Jo, T O'Sullivan, A Spiteri, 50, 18
- Maybe Better, B Mayfield-Smith, C Munce, 50, 3
- Efficient (NZ), G Rogerson, C Newitt, 49, 8 - SCRATCHED
Melbourne Cup winners
Melbourne Cup winners and placegetters since 2000
2000 - Brew, Yippyio, Second Coming
2001 - Ethereal, Give the Slip, Persian Punch
2002 - Media Puzzle, Mr Prudent, Beekeeper
2003 - Makybe Diva, She's Archie, Jardines Lookout
2004 - Makybe Diva, Vinnie Roe, Zazzman
2005 - Makybe Diva, On a Jeune, Xcellent
2006 - Delta Blues, Pop Rock, Maybe Better
2007 - Efficient, Purple Moon, Mahler
