Hills answers his Melbourne Cup critics

Richard Hills today brushed aside the typically partisan criticism he received from Australia's media for his narrow defeat in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup - widely hailed as the best combined European-trained performance since Ireland's Vintage Crop triumphed in 1993.

The Newmarket-based rider returned to Britain today after finishing three-quarters of a length second to New Zealand mare, Ethereal, on Godolphin's second string, Give The Slip, to find himself variously accused Down Under of being "dopey", "asleep" and "as big a clod as what his horse was kicking up".

Local reporters suggested that by making the running against the inside rail of the Flemington track, rather than holding up his horse for a late and wide sprint in the Australian style, Hills had "cost his horse the race". Yet Richard Quinn, who rode third-placed Persian Punch, was criticised for riding "wide the whole way around".

"Australians haven't seen much racing other than their own. They train their horses to sprint and most of them don't really stay the two miles of the Melbourne Cup, so they always hold them up for a late run. They think their way of racing is the right way and, if you don't conform to it, you're wrong," responded a phlegmatic Hills.

"Their press were very aggressive, trying to get as many negatives as possible. Frankie Dettori and Johnny Murtagh got some flak, too, but we three were riding in New York the previous week. We know there's more than one way of riding a good race. Godolphin were happy with me and I wouldn't ride any differently given the race again.

"They make it very hard for European horses to win - our four were the first to be put into the stalls and had to wait for the other 18 local runners to be loaded up. It really hurt their pride when Vintage Crop won and they won't travel with their horses, apart from to Dubai, because they're afraid we'd beat them."

It was Hills' first ride in the Melbourne Cup, but he is keen to make a winning return. "It was a great day," he said. "The country stops for the race - there were 100,000 people in the crowd, all screaming. I saw some sights. I'd love to go back and have another pop."

Meanwhile, Ad Hoc, 7-1 favourite with the Tote for next month's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, is likely to head straight for Newbury, bypassing his intended seasonal return in Wincanton's Badger Brewery Handicap this Saturday.

His Ditcheat trainer, Paul Nicholls, instead plans to run Montifault in the £40,000 Wincanton race.