The Cup

We call it the "The Race That Stops The Nation", but never in the more than 150 year history of the Melbourne Cup has there been so dramatic a contest as the running of the 2002 thoroughbred classic. This was the year that Australian jockey Damien Oliver (Stephen Curry The King), was selected to ride the Irish horse Media Puzzle, but was forced to enter the field burdened with grief over the death of his brother, fellow jockey Jason (Daniel McPherson, TV's Wild Boys), after a racing accident a week before The Cup. Determined to overcome this cruel twist of fate, Damien insists on competing in Australia's biggest racing festival. After 12 straight losses as he mounts for his ride in the Cup, it is a foregone conclusion he cannot win. When Media Puzzle and his rider pass the winning post in first place, their astounding victory is seen as a heaven-sent inspiration - not only for Damien Oliver and his family, but for a nation still in shock and mourning over the recent Bali bombings. One of the year's most uplifting films, The Cup also brings together a brilliant ensemble cast including Brendon Gleeson (On Bruges), Tom Burlinson (Phar Lap), Shaun Micallef (TV's Talking 'Bout Your Generation), Jodi Gordon (TV's Home and Away), Martin Sacks (TV's Blue Heelers) and the late Australian icon Bill Hunter (Red Dog).