VALE SHANE WARNE
to record 700 Test wickets and the second to record 1000 international wickets in all forms of the game - is as extensive as the honour rolls for the TAB Australian Cup and the Yulong Stud Newmarket Handicap, which are run today for the 160th time and the 149th year respectively. However, while his ability to manoeuvre a 160-gram
VRC Oaks Day 2011 (Source: SPD Media/VRC)
dark redmissilewithsleight ofhandmayhavemadehimachampion, it was his personality away from his beloved sport that made him an Australian legend. In many ways, Warne represented the quintessentialAussie bloke and, like somany of his peers, his love of the races – and of Flemington – was one of his endearing qualities. Every Melbourne Cup Carnival, Warne and his wife Simone were among the most sought guests for the marquees that dotted the Birdcage, with the leg spinner always keen to back whatever horse would be sporting the navy and white silks of his mate Williams. Given Williams has won the Lexus Melbourne Cup an unprecedented seven times, including a remarkable five wins since 2007, that made for a profitable post-retirement payday. It was an experience he shared with his son Jackson, with the pair captured holding the 2016 Melbourne Cup – a trophy that would eventually be won by Williams with Almandin.
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software