Dermot Weld, the mastermind of Vintage Crop's 1993 Melbourne Cup win, has hailed the stayer as a pioneer of modern-day thoroughbred racing.

Vintage Crop died on Monday at the Irish National Stud where he was a star attraction for many years after his retirement from racing. He was 27.

"It's hard for maybe some Australians to appreciate or realise that (the Melbourne Cup) wasn't that well known around the world," Weld said.

"And Vintage Crop more than anything really moved the Melbourne Cup to where it deserves to be and to where it is, as a major world race now."

Vintage Crop contested two other Melbourne Cups, finishing injured in his second attempt before running third as a nine-year-old to Doriemus in 1995.

"I always thought, and so did Michael Kinane, who rode him so brilliantly, he was even better the year he was third," Weld told Melbourne radio station RSN.

"He put up a fabulous performance, but for interference over the far side he would definitely won it for a second time."

Vintage Crop retired after his 1995 Cup minor placing with the outstanding record of 26 starts for 16 wins which included two victories in hurdle races.

"He won the Irish St Leger Classic two years running for us; he was the first horse in Ireland to win a million Irish pounds," Weld said.

"He had such courage and its courage that differentiated him from the other horses."