Almandin’s failure, not Dettori’s

OWNER Lloyd Williams has defended Frankie Dettori’s Melbourne Cup ride on Almandin, revealing the Italian star rode the defending champion to instructions.

Dettori is winless in Australia’s most important race despite 16 fruitless attempts.

His display on joint favourite Almandin drew withering social media critiques.

Williams, a mentor to one of the sport’s most decorated jockeys, brushed off the barrage.

“He rode to instructions. I told him to be three-deep,” Williams said while savouring a record sixth Cup triumph with Rekindling.

Williams wanted Almandin to have clear running, confident the 2016 winner had the class to repeat. But he struggled over the closing stages.

Almandin was beaten 11½ lengths in finishing 12th, with Trakus data revealing the import travelled 22m further than Rekindling.

Almandin’s beaten margin equates to 27m.

Only Single Gaze (24m) and US Army Ranger (29m) covered more ground in finishing 18th and 19th, respectively.

Williams said Almandin had pulled up sore.

“The horse is sore this morning and when Frankie got off him he said ‘this horse is flat, he’s sore’,” Williams said.

“Frankie gave him a test at the 600m and there was nothing there.