The little champ failed the police academy but had already achieved supreme greatness

Brew is a small, plain bay Thoroughbred gelding who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup for trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Kerrin McEvoy. The horse was passed in at the Karaka auctions and buyers in Australia were equally disinterested, so his breeder, Graham de Gruchy bought the horse back from Australia at some expense. Brew later started winning races and was sold for $110,000. He showed little potential with midfield results until the horse starting getting up and over ground. By 1999 Brew was developing as a good stayer and running solidly beyond 2000m and further.

Brew's first stakes win was the Listed Japan Trophy at 2559 metres on Turnbull Stakes day. This race is now called The Bart Cummings and is run at Group 3 level. Brew carried the lightweight of 49 kilograms and defeated the veteran Yippyio and the stablemate Second Coming in the Melbourne Cup. After finishing second to Yippyio in the Moonee Valley Cup, Brew qualified for the Melbourne Cup by winning The Gr.2 Saab Quality at 2500 metres on Derby Day, three days before the Cup. When winning the Saab Quality, Brew achieved a Timeform rating of 113, and allowing automatic entry into the Cup held four days later on the Tuesday. Brew is a son of Sir Tristram and the champion NZ racemare and Japan Cup winner Horlicks, but was gelded before showing finally his best form. Horlicks ran a world record time for the 2400m in 1989 and some of that quality pace was certainly passed on to Brew. He certainly was a royally bred stayer.

Kerrin McEvoy perfected the art of taking a horse from the widest alley, (24) to win the 3200m Cup. As he left the gate McEvoy pushed the horse in behind the brisk early pace of the race and managed to secure a favourable position going past the post the first time. The horse was one of the rail and drifted slightly down the back straight, but that allowed the hoop an opportunity to get Brew into some kind of relaxed rhythm. Subsequently, he strategically positioned the horse closely behind the leading pack, where the pace was steady. He maintained composure and allowed Brew to drift off the back of the front runners, avoiding any unnecessary panic, picking up speed coming out four wide entering the home straight. When the duo arrived at the clock tower, they had successfully surpassed Second Coming and secured the Cup. It was a magnificent and gratifying spectacle to witness.

Later, as Moroney left the course, a group of young blokes who didn’t know who he was told the trainer how they had backed the Cup winner. They explained their logic; barrier 24, 24 horses in the race, 24 beers in a slab, and a horse called Brew! The Melbourne Cup was Brew's last win. In the Melbourne Cup, Brew achieved a career peak Timeform rating of 114. Brew also ran in the previous Melbourne Cup in 1999 which was won by Rogan Josh. A little known fact: Some time after winning the Melbourne Cup, Brew was spelled from racing and trained for duty as a police horse in Melbourne but failed to make the grade. He returned to racing but never found his previous form. Brew is now at Living Legends, the International Home of Rest for Champion Horses located in Woodlands Historic Park, Greenvale, Victoria, Australia. Since the death of 1999 winner Rogan Josh is the oldest and earliest winner of all the extant Melbourne Cup-winning horses.

For the record, upon their return to New Zealand, the owners attended Ellerslie in December and generously provided free complimentary beer to all patrons in the public bar. As they paraded the Melbourne Cup, it was filled with beer, and attendees eagerly drank from it. We were fortunate enough to participate in this momentous occasion, and it was a remarkable celebratory day, drinking brew from the Cup in honour of Brew.


RACE RECORD - 40: 17–10–2
EARNINGS - NZ$4,165,407

Listed Japan Trophy 2559m
Saab Quality 2500m
1st 2000 Melbourne Cup 3200m

2000-2001 Champion Stayer in the Australian Horse of the Year, New Zealand Racing Hall if Fame