Europe is the key to Melbourne Cup win

For many years, Lloyd Williams has supported the Australasian breeding industry in his quest to win more Melbourne Cups than anyone else.

Those days are gone.

In the field of 24 on Tuesday, only one, Jameka who finished 15th, was bred in Australia while three, Who Shot Thebarman (5th), Penthathlon (9th) and Rose Of Virginia (last) came from New Zealand, the former nursery of Cup winners.

Williams became the Cup’s most successful owner when imported German horse Almandin gave him his fifth.

Green Moon, who gave him his fourth in 2012, was bred in Ireland and raced in England before coming to Australia.

The last Cup winner he bought from colonial stock was Efficient, a Zabeel gelding who won in 2007.

“I started buying horses from overseas in 1993,” Williams said.

“I’ve bought some very bad ones and you have to go back to Efficient for the last one I had with local staying blood.

“I was always a great supporter of (his sire) Zabeel but people import the stayers now because they want up and going horses.

“I’m happy to give them time but Camelot is an example of a horse who came here to stud and people didn’t support him.”

Williams had four runners in Tuesday’s Cup, all bred in Europe.

Bondi Beach, who is trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien will return there, while Assign who is from Ireland and Gallante from France, will go back to Williams’ Macedon Lodge in Victoria to be prepared for more races.

Williams other Cup winners were Just A Dash (1981) and What A Nuisance (1985).

The local studs can still rest for a little while on last year’s surprise win by Prince Of Penzance who upheld the New Zealand part of the Australasian breeding industry.