Melbourne Cup win sweet for Shocking rider

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's Shocking roared past Ireland's Crime Scene in the closing stages to win the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday and grant jockey Corey Brown sweet redemption after a string of heart-breaking near misses.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained four-year-old was driven wide going into the final straight but reeled in Crime Scene to deny the foreign raiders a fourth Melbourne Cup victory in the 3,200 metre handicap's 149-year history.

Irish stayer Mourilyan, trained by South African Herman Brown, finished third in the A$5.5 million ($4.98 million) race's 23-horse field.

Starting at 10-1, the win helped Brown erase the pain of three narrow defeats in Australia's richest race, the last a galling photo-finish loss on British entrant Bauer 12 months ago, when the Bart Cummings-trained Viewed prevailed by a nose.

"I was worried the whole race," Brown told reporters after taking a tearful victory lap of Flemington racecourse.

"I've had a spot on my mantlepiece for this Cup for a long time and now I can finally put one there," added the jockey, who also came runner-up on Mr Prudent in 2002 and third on Lahar in 1999.

Perhaps having learned from last year's agony, Brown timed Shocking's run to perfection coming into the home straight, biding his time as early front-runners Warringah and Roman Emperor fell back in the face of a strong head-wind.

As Crime Scene made a dash for the line, Brown rode on the Irish stayer's heels for shelter before making his own charge, and after a thrilling two-horse sprint, took the lead with 100 metres left and held on to win by a length.