we've just won the Cup' It's ours: Damien Oliver and Fiorente's owners whoop it up. Among the crowd of owners surrounding Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente in the winner's stall were three brothers from the Gold Coast with a passion for the punt, the ponies, and a shared dream to win what they considered to be the world's greatest horse race. Andrew, Luke, and David Henderson make their money selling property on the Gold Coast, but they have their fun on the racetrack and it has been their horses that have catapulted them to near celebrity status in the sun-drenched community. There's Andrew, the lad about town with the glamorous partner, a regular in the social pages of the local paper; Luke the outspoken and sometimes controversial but always passionate community man; and David the bearded back-seat driver with a knack for emerging from the shadows just in time to lay hands on gold cups and trophies before his brothers. On Tuesday, as the euphoria of Fiorente's win set in and the backslapping and congratulations broke out, the three Henderson boys took a moment to embrace and enjoy an extremely rare celebration that few families have shared. "It's like three minutes of absolute pain and then that one minute of absolute pleasure, and now I don't know, it's just ridiculous," said Andrew. I think there will be plenty of French champagne and plenty of ooh la la tonight. Who would have bloody thought it, couldn't have dreamt it. "Unbelievable, just lost for words, bloody hell, we've just won the Cup!" said David. This was Fiorente's second crack at Cup success after chasing home Green Moon last year just days after stepping off a plane from England, having been sold to the stable of Gai Waterhouse. After his sparkling Australian debut was followed by a promising cameo appearance in the Sydney in the autumn when third to star colt All Too Hard in the All Aged Stakes, the Hendersons had cause to look longingly towards the spring, with all the anticipation and stress that comes with owning a star thoroughbred. They knew what they were getting into though, having previously owned 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado with Waterhouse, a horse that was well fancied for the Cup that year but ultimately failed hopelessly in his quest for the double, going amiss midway through the race. Despite his Caulfield Cup triumph, Descarado was a $14 shot for the Cup, but Fiorente had emerged as favourite for the race after a slashing run in the Turnbull Stakes and a brave third in the Cox Plate; 12 months earlier he had been a $31 chance in the Cup. "It was so exciting last year running second because we had no idea he'd do that, but then this year as the favourite, you become a bit confident and a little bit cocky, but in the end it all comes down to this day, and he's done it," said Luke. I'd rather be favourite than a $21 shot, though, you know you're in with a chance and you know your horse is on track. With the market on their side and the confidence of the Waterhouse stable behind them, the Henderson brothers had cause for optimism leading up to the race, and dared to dream of a Cup win when they dined together the night before the race. They talked tactics and race maps and discussed where Fiorente might land in the run. They mused over the return of Damien Oliver to the saddle and the decision to replace Nash Rawiller midway through the spring campaign in favour of the Victorian champion and whether the slow tempo early in the 2012 Cup had flattered their horse ahead of what looked to be a true two-mile test. "It panned out just the way we thought," Luke said. I thought if he can hit the lead about 150 metres out they won't catch him, but some others said that he mightn't run it [the distance] out, but he bloody did. And as the race played out just as the three brothers had planned, elation took hold as the realisation of a Melbourne Cup dream and a place in the history of Australia's greatest sporting event took hold. I thought it can't be possible, we can't win the Cup. But we did, and I'm over the moon," Luke said. I'm gonna get a hold of that three-handled thing, I'm gonna fill it with champagne, and I'm gonna drink. He's a champion and he'll go down in history as a Melbourne Cup winner, and we will too.