GODOLPHIN have vowed to continue their quest for Emirates Melbourne Cup glory after having to settle for second once again in 2009.

Trainer Saeed bin Suroor has saddled Central Park (1999) and Give The Slip (2001) for minor honours in the last ten years and Crime Scene provided another runner-up placing as he went down by three-quarters of a length to Shocking.

Ex-Sir Michael Stoute inmate Warringah set a slow early pace but as he began to flag at the top of the straight, Kerrin McEvoy swept through on Crime Scene to take it up.

However, Corey Brown was sitting on his heels aboard the Mark Kavanagh-trained Shocking and delivered a perfectlytimed challenge in the closing stages.

Although Crime Scene made a good battle of it, Shocking just had too much petrol in the tank and pulled clear at the finish.

‘‘The horse did really very well. Before the race I was really happy with him and that gave us the confidence to run him,’’ said Bin Suroor.

‘‘The blinkers made a big difference to him really – working on Saturday he was more focused than ever.

‘‘This our third time in the Melbourne Cup. We have run second (and) one day we are going to win.’’ Brown, who has endured a rollercoaster career, was gaining compensation after just losing out by a nose aboard Luca Cumani’s Bauer last year.

‘‘I’ve had a fair few hiccups in my racing career. Three years ago, I ran into a bit of trouble in Hong Kong (when suspended for six months for testing positive to cocaine) and I was told I would never get back to the heights that I did, but to come here today to win the Cup has proven them all wrong,’’ Brown said.

The rider was originally booked to ride Vigor but after that horse was controversially excluded from the field on Saturday night, Kavanagh allowed him to step in for the ride.

Shocking had to overcome an unfavourable draw in 22 on a day when most winners needed cover from the strong winds which buffeted Flemington.

‘‘We travelled three deep with no cover. I know he had no weight but he did tough it out really well,’’ added Brown.

‘‘I got probably a good half a length on the second horse and then I thought he was going to fight back and beat me, but my bloke stuck to his guns.’’ Mourilyan, who was trained by Gary Moore earlier in the year, came with a late surge to claim third on his first start since returning to the care of South African trainer Herman Brown.

Master O’Reilly finished fourth for the second successive year, while 2008 victor Viewed suffered a luckless passage and came home seventh.

Ian Williams’ Munsef and Cumani’s Basaltico were barely sighted, finishing 12th and 18th of the 23 runners respectively.

Munsef ’s rider Zac Purton commented: ‘‘(It was a) bit disappointing because I had a good run.”