- Richmond legends won big at the Melbourne Cup
- Jack Riewoldt owns second-placed Soulcombe
- He took home a share of $1.1million on Tuesday
Jack Riewoldt and his old Richmond teammates enjoyed a successful day at the races after pocketing a hefty win in Flemington.
Riewoldt, who retired from the AFL at the end of the season, is part of a racing syndicate called Punt Road End, with its star performer the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe.
Tom Lynch, Liam Baker, Nathan Broad and Jack Graham are also part of the group.
Soulcombe did not quite take top prize, which went to Without A Fight in the showpiece Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, but the five-year-old managed to take home second place.
The runner-up finish comes with a $1.1million jackpot for its owners, and Riewoldt – a triple premiership winner with the Tigers – said he was more nervous on Cup morning than on Grand Final day.
Footy stars won a big prize at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday at Flemington
Jack Riewoldt is part of a syndicate which owns British horse Soulcombe
‘You look at the run and we probably ran up the back of a few horses there and maybe you ask, ‘What if?’ Riewoldt told Racing.com.
‘For us, as a smaller syndicate, the Punt Rd End boys, just to be here, we’ve played on one of the biggest stages on the Australian sporting calendar and to be here again on another one and have a live runner and a runner that’s run so well is so exciting.’
Soulcombe, a British horse, has won three times on home soil in 2022 and took out the Queen’s Cup at Flemington last year. The horse also finished seventh in the Caulfield Cup last month.
The Tigers heroes could have had an even more lucrative day had Soulcombe not suffered a slow start at Flemington.
The horse placed second in the big race, winning its owner a huge $1.1m prize
Their horse has struggled to come firing out of the gate but has shown undeniable pace, with many arguing Soulcombe ought to have taken top spot on Tuesday.
‘Racing is probably a little bit different (to footy) as we can’t influence it one bit, like I can’t go up to Soulcombe and whisper in his ear,’ Riewoldt added.
‘Footy we’re actually able to impact and try and get a kick … whereas we sit back in the lap of Chris Waller, Joao Moreira, Soulcombe and the racing Gods.’
