When jockey Wayne Lordan walks into the mounting yard on Tuesday wearing emerald green and gold hoops with a white cap, it will mark a historic Melbourne Cup moment.

That’s because his mount Goodie Two Shoes is the first Cup runner for one of racing’s most famous owners, Irish billionaire and legendary racing figure JP McManus.

The 75-year-old is an iconic personality in Ireland, a wealthy philanthropist with a gambler’s instinct and a dry wit.

He shuns the limelight, an anomaly in the social media age, and speaks at a pace he would hate his horses to run. But his influence on racing, the Gaelic Athletic Association and golf is enormous. Until now, however he has not had a runner in the Cup.

This year he has sent the Joseph O’Brien-trained Goodie Two Shoes to Australia under the care o

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