While everyone else was marvelling at his ride, McDonald was saying quietly: "I went 50m too soon [on the home turn]."
No one else was blaming McDonald, not even Rising Romance's trainer Donna Logan, who declared pre-race that victory would be the greatest moment of her life.
"James rode her beautifully," she said. "He couldn't have done any more."
The sad part for the Rising Romance team is that it is the first time in eight years the Japanese horses have been in Melbourne.
In almost any other year, the Rising Romance camp would still have been drinking champagne yesterday morning.
The Logans have done a marvellous job with Rising Romance, who had her first race 12 months ago almost to the day, finishing fourth in an Avondale maiden.
Some of the team are keen to tackle the Australian $1 million Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week, but Logan wants to get the mare home for a spell. "She's an Oaks winner and has done a great job. There's plenty of racing ahead for her, there is no hurry.
"I'd love to take her home right now."
Meanwhile, the Tomoyuki Umeda-trained Admire Rakti reinforced the strength of Japanese stayers in world racing and his win came eight years after Japanese duo Delta Blues and Pop Rock ran the quinella in the Melbourne Cup.
In claiming one of Australia's best races, Admire Rakti has also stamped himself as having undeniable claims for the Melbourne Cup. He is the new favourite for Flemington on November 4.
