Tag Archives: Media Puzzle

BREAKING NEWS: Brendan Gleeson to Top-Line The Cup

May 3, 2010 – 12:00 am

Gleeson & FarrellIrish actor Brendan Gleeson has committed to star as Ireland’s winningest trainer, Dermot Weld, in The Cup, which goes into production later this month in Australia with Simon Wincer to direct. Weld enjoys the unique distinction of being the only international trainer to have twice won the Melbourne Cup: in 1993 with Vintage Crop and in 2002 with Media Puzzle. It is the latter victory that plays an integral part in the development of the film.

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Thirty Thoroughbreds Now in Training

April 29, 2010 – 6:54 pm

Princesa-webSome of the most important casting decisions for The Cup have already been made and the papers signed. Director Simon Wincer has personally overseen the acquisition of more than two dozen Thoroughbreds, each of whom is now being schooled in the intricacies of the moviemaking art.

From The Man From Snowy River to The Lighthorsemen and The Young Black Stallion, Wincer’s ability as a filmmaker to capture the passion and allure of horses is unmatched in Hollywood, but he does admit there are one or two obstacles to recreating the dramatic running of the 2002 Melbourne Cup.

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Vintage Crop in Running for Irish Sports Book of the Year

November 16, 2009 – 10:32 am

Vintage-Crop-by-Dermot-Weld-web
Twenty-three titles made the grade for the 2009 Irish Sports Book of the Year. Not surprisingly, Dermot Weld’s account of some of his greatest gallopers is one of the contenders.

Racing fans will no doubt be riveted by the behind-the-scenes look at the workings of Roswell House. I enjoyed seeing the way Dermot’s coy answers to my questions were just the tip of the iceberg. How did he nurse Vintage Crop back to health for the 1993 Melbourne Cup? Why didn’t he give up on Media Puzzle, a runner whose career had so many setbacks?

Best of luck, Dermot.

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VIDEO: Weekend Sunrise with Mark Beretta

November 2, 2009 – 7:54 am

 

On the Sunrise Set With Mark Beretta

On the Sunrise Set With Mark Beretta

 

All credit where credit is due: Mark Beretta and the crew from Sunrise turned a soggy Melbourne morning into an unforgettable experience along the banks of the Yarra River outside the Crown Casino. 

See for yourself right HERE.

We covered a lot of ground, and I would be remiss if I failed to commend the show’s researchers for digging up the awesome footage from the races I mentioned.

P.S. If your curious about the black-and-white clip, it’s from the 1896 Melbourne Cup, which was won by Newhaven.

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VIDEO: Writing The Cup

October 26, 2009 – 12:00 am

It’s taken more than five years to get the story of the 2002 Melbourne Cup into print form, an experience I encapsulate in these brief comments.  

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More Praise for Theatrical

October 15, 2009 – 12:00 am

Down the Straight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s gratifying to see the accolades continue to pour in about this great horse. I was particularly impressed with the coverage by Racing Post columnist Nancy Sexton, whose article included an excellent rundown on the Gr. 1 winners by Theatrical, including Media Puzzle (pictured above):

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PRINT: “Voices of The Cup”

October 1, 2009 – 12:00 am

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC O’KEEFE
THE THOROUGHBRED / WINTER 2009

CURRAGH CRAIC: Jimmy Feane (left) and Stan Cosgrove (centre) of Moyglare Stud join Cup-winning trainer Dermot Weld atop the gallops at Ireland’s most famous racecourse.

CURRAGH CRONIES: Jimmy Feane (left) and Stan Cosgrove (centre) of Moyglare Stud join Cup-winning trainer Dermot Weld atop the gallops at Ireland’s most famous racecourse.

Have you ever walked into a paddock with a lead rope in your hand only to find out that you were about to be given a lesson in catching the wind? With twists and feints and an occasional burst of speed, a playful horse can turn a 10-second drill into a bullfight, and the only thing that gets gored is your pride.

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PRINT: Read the First Chapter of The Cup by Eric O’Keefe

September 30, 2009 – 12:00 am
Director Simon Wincer joins two-time Melboune Cup winner Damien Oliver, the hero of The Cup.

Director Simon Wincer and the hero of The Cup, two-time Melboune Cup winner Damien Oliver.

TOWN MOOR is no ordinary racecourse. To label it as such is like calling the Tour de France “a strenuous country ride” or Buckingham Palace “the home of a London family”. Town Moor is to thoroughbred racing what the barren plains of Marathon are to long distance runners: heroic, historic, defining.

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AUDIO: ABC 774 Damien Oliver Discusses The Cup

August 11, 2009 – 12:00 am

Richard Stubbs gets Damien Oliver to open up about a wide range of topics in this excellent half hour interview. Many go right to the heart of The Cup – hurrying home to Perth from Melbourne after learning of his brother’s fall, deciding whether or not to return and ride in the Cup, and the unexpected bit of encouragement he received from his late brother that got him back in the saddle for the Cup Carnival.

ABC 774 Damien Oliver Discusses The Cup (28:19)

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PRINT: “An Ollie-wood Saga”

August 7, 2009 – 12:00 am


chris de kretser and daryl timms
Melbourne Herald Sun
August 7, 2009

The man who wrote the book and film script for The Cup, the heart-warming story of Damien Oliver’s win on Media Puzzle, is an American who had never seen a Melbourne Cup and only heard about it second-hand from friends.

Texan sports novelist Eric O’Keefe says he was told about the 2002 Cup, one of the greatest in modern times, by friends who witnessed Oliver’s emotional ride days after the death of his brother Jason.

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