As Ireland press conferences go, it might have been the biggest headline grabber since Mick McCarthy broke a little news in that Chinese restaurant in Saipan.

British raiders Carte Diamond and Razkalla were out of luck in the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup in Australia.

Champion Australian racehorse Northerly, the punter’s favourite, added the Caulfield Cup to his cache of Group One successes at the Melbourne track today as Godolphin’s Beekeeper ran a great Melbourne Cup trial.