First published in Australia in 2009, its subject is the 2002 running of the Melbourne Cup, which was won by the American-bred gelding Media Puzzle, who was ridden by champion Australian jockey Damien Oliver and prepared by the Irish trainer Dermot Weld.

The Cup was based on a 2003 article that O’Keefe wrote for Nicklaus magazine titled "The Race That Stopped a Nation.

"[1] O’Keefe and Australian director Simon Wincer co-authored the screenplay for the movie version of the story, which premiered in 2011 starring Brendan Gleeson.

The week before the 2002 Melbourne Cup, Jason Oliver, Damien's older brother, was fatally injured in a training accident while riding an unraced horse at Belmont Racecourse in Perth.

In 1975, while competing in the Boulder Cup at Kalgoorlie, Ray Oliver, Damien and Jason's father, was involved in a five-horse fall.

[4] Race caller Bryan Martin[5] emceed the event, which featured remarks by Damien Oliver and Simon Wincer.