Mark Kavanagh has had more than his share of low points in big races in the past couple of years, but his karma changed when Shocking won the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington yesterday.
The 50-year-old had shown his disappointment when Maldivian was taken out after a barrier mishap in the 2007 Caulfield Cup, and when Whobegotyou was beaten as favourite in last year's Victoria Derby and then just two weeks ago in the Cox Plate.
He never tried to hide; there was always dignity in the way Kavanagh took the bad luck.
Again the curse struck, with Derby favourite Shamoline Warrior being scratched on Saturday morning.
But the first Tuesday in November was his day.
"It's not how many times you get knocked (down) - it's how many times you get up," Kavanagh said.
"You just have to keep coming back and fronting up."
He did that on Saturday when Shocking won the Lexus Stakes (2500m), but yesterday was the reward he had dreamed of since he was a boy.
"Everyone wants to win the Melbourne Cup," Kavanagh said.
"They stop your lessons at school for it - they don't do that for the Cox Plate. This is the race."
Shocking buried the demons for Corey Brown as well. The jockey was beaten in the closest of photo finishes on Bauer in the Cup last year.
Despite being three-wide without cover for most of the trip, Shocking proved the strongest stayer.
He beat import Crime Scene by three-quarters of a length, with another European visitor Mourilyan 11/2 lengths behind in third.
Kavanagh would have been wondering during the race if he was going to have to face another day where he would be grinning and bearing defeat despite timing Shocking's preparation to the minute.
"After Saturday I knew there was a bit left there," Kavanagh said.
"But I was coming here today thinking that there was no improvement (left) there.
"I'm a very big fan of Bart's and he peaks them on the day. I'm very proud I did today."
Only three years ago, Kavanagh was training in Adelaide when he won the feature on the final day of the carnival, the Emirates Stakes with Divine Madonna.
Within a couple of months he had 26 boxes at Flemington with only one horse in them - Maldivian.
He was living in a serviced apartment, and split his time between Melbourne and Adelaide as his career was building.
"I was paying full rent (for the stable)," he said.
"It was calculated risk coming over here and it worked out because I had that big spring when EI hit and that set me up."
While Kavanagh was celebrating Shocking's win, it continued Godolphin's drought in the Melbourne Cup.
Crime Scene joined Give The Slip and Central Park as runners-up, but Kerrin McEvoy was far from disappointed.
"He went super," McEvoy said.
"I feel like I won the race."
A slow speed left those in the back of the field with little chance of being a factor, and Glyn Schofield, who rode third placegetter Mourilyan, knew it.
"I was back with Viewed and didn't go on, he couldn't go on," Schofield said.
"I started taking tight runs and he ran up to what he had shown me since arriving.
"He was very strong to the line but the pace really didn't give him his chance."
Alcopop, who was backed from $6 to start a $4.80 favourite, failed to run out the two miles and finished sixth, just in front of Bart Cummings' defending champion Viewed, who was seventh.
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