KEY POINTS:
It is easy to get carried away when a horse wins a Derby the way New Zealand-bred Efficient did at Flemington yesterday.
Too easy.
Efficient won Victoria's oldest Classic by 2 1/4 lengths, and with a bit of luck he could have made it 10.
He also staked an undeniable claim to the title of Australia's best racehorse; he single-handedly fixed a race that over the past couple of decades had slipped into disrepair; and he gave his owner Lloyd Williams a reward he richly deserved.
Above all, he added a new dimension to a Melbourne Cup that looked to be out of reach to the locals.
As momentous as Efficient's performance was, the announcement that Williams would pay A$132,000 (NZ$153,470) to take up his right to an automatic entry into Tuesday's Melbourne Cup was equally significant.
The Cup is dominated by international runners.
The favourite Tawqeet may be trained in Australia, but he's only just off the boat.
Second favourite Yeats is from Ireland and the next two in the betting, until yesterday, were Japanese.
After the Derby, the bookies put Efficient among the favourites at $7.
As good as he is, and as comprehensive as his win may have been, Efficient has 65 years of history against him. Not since 1941 has a 3-year-old won the Cup.
Not many have tried, the most recent being Nothin' Leica Dane in 1995. Efficient is easily his equal.
Efficient's win was also a tribute to the perseverance and pockets of his owner. Williams has poured more money than a responsible man should into horseracing.
At one time he and his transtasman trainer Graeme Rogerson appeared to be cornering the market in horses sired by the New Zealand stallion Zabeel, the father of Efficient.
Williams paid dearly for most of them, but a relatively modest A$220,000 for Efficient.
Even though he has won two Melbourne Cups and a nice collection of other major races, Williams' rewards have been comparatively skinny.
The A$900,000 he collects for winning the Derby might be equivalent to a couple of months of training bills.
Even if Efficient wins the Melbourne Cup, the balance will still be written in red ink.
But to the man who has spent a billion or so in search of a champion, Tuesday could make it all worthwhile.
Williams will now have three Cup runners - Activation, Zipping and Efficient. He has not been in the best of health, and although not on course yesterday was in constant contact with his trainer and son Nick.
"I have spoken to dad and he is speechless," Nick Williams said. "It is a great honour to be standing here accepting the trophy but all the glory belongs to dad.
"As long as the horse pulls up okay he will run in the Cup on Tuesday with [lightweight jockey] Craig Newitt to ride."
Efficient, ridden by Michael Rodd who will ride Activation in the Cup, picked up momentum and swept to the front and stamped his authority to beat Gorky Park by 2 1/4 lengths with Teranaba a game third another half-length away.
Making Efficient's victory all the more remarkable was that it happened at just his sixth start, five of which he has won.
He was bred by Graeme Hunt, of Wellington, and Scott Williams, of Cambridge. They share in a quarter of the gelding's shareholding with brothers Mike and Tony Sellars, also of Wellington, with the remainder held by Lloyd Williams.
It was Rogerson's first derby win, having finished second in the past two years with Duelled and Savabeel, and with Ebony Grosve in 1996.
