The Jim Osborne memoirs - The race that sealed a victory

It is hard to believe that there could possibly be any connection between war in the desert of Northern Africa and the Melbourne Cup.

The following story must be one of the most fantastic but true stories of any running of the Cup. What a pity there were no bookmakers in the desert, as punters would have had their greatest day.

The Battle of El Alamein started at 9.40pm - 2140 in army language - on October 23, 1942. 

The main battle lasted for 11 days, without respite, when the German and Italian armies - known as the Afrika Korps - finally were beaten and retracted in all haste to Mersa Matruh and all points west.

For that period there had been very little rest for the Australian 9th Division. Most had never had time to take their boots off and sleep was only in snatches. 

After a couple of days mopping up, the 9th Division were relieved and retired back to an area 20 miles east of El Alamein for their first night’s sleep in what had seemed a very long time. 

The next morning our first warm meal, our breakfast, was brought to us by the ASC (Army Service Corps). It was a warm stew. The ingredients were tinned sausages, crushed army biscuits and a few onions. To us it tasted magnificent. But they also brought with them a short-wave radio and we were able to listen to the BBC news while having breakfast.

Just prior to the news the announcer advised that the broadcast of the Melbourne Cup would be aired, for the benefit of any Australian troops who may be able to listen. Then he gave the names of the starters. Two members of our battery were the brothers Robbie - Jim and Denis. 

On their enlistment in Victoria they decided they had to sell a horse they had in training. Advised by their trainer that their horse was nothing more than a speedy squib, they sold him for a pittance to a Mr Louis Menck, who had the horse transferred to his own trainer. 

Imagine their amazement when they found out that their speedy squib, which “couldn’t run five furlongs”, was entered in a two-mile cup. It did seem at least a little bit odd, but there it was.

Then came the BBC news, and for us in Africa it was superb. For the first time British Lancaster bombers had flown fully-laden over the Alps and bombed two major ports in Italy (those that provided support for the Afrika Korps), flown on to Casablanca, reloaded, and bombed them again on the journey back to England. 

This was the raid in which Flight Lieutenant Ron Middleton, an Australian, won a Victoria Cross, the highest military honour for bravery in wartime and in this war one of the most deserved, but he was sadly killed in doing so.

Where did the bombs do such an excellent job? At Portofino and Genoa. 

When we heard the news I had never seen such elation - or such astonished expressions on the faces of the Robbie brothers. 

The breeding of Colonus was by Portofino from Genoa. Australian time is several hours ahead of Egypt. The cup was run then at about 8 o’clock in the morning, Egyptian time - straight after the news bulletin had finished. And Colonus won, by seven lengths, at 33-1 – but not a bet could be laid. 

What an omen - and what cheering went on. The race, I am sure, was described by Jim Carroll of the ABC - and I don’t think any of us there will ever forget it. 

(Editor’s note: The sire was actually Portfolio rather than Portofino, but we can’t let facts get in the way of a great story!)