Melbourne Cup live updates: Knight's Choice wins Melbourne Cup ...

Race 9: Maybe Mahal Stakes, Group 3, 4YO, Mares, 1,400m

45 minutes agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 5:25am

Sheila Laxon wins her second Melbourne Cup

1 hours agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 4:17am

Jockey Robbie Dolan is 'dreaming' after a Cup win

1 hours agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 4:12am

The lucky last race of Cup Day at Flemington is a Benchmark 90 handicap race.

There are two last-start winners in the field — Warnie (12) and The Shaper (15).

The Shaper is a distance specialist, having won three times in five races over 1,400m.

Warnie, Bel Air (13) and Meridius (8) have all previously won at Flemington.

Jockey Joe Bowditch has ridden a terrific race to guide Fancify to victory in the Maybe Mahal Stakes.

Like most races today (with the exception of the Cup funnily enough) Fancify hit the front with about 400m left to run and could not be chased down.

That has been the mantra for today. Get to the front and hold on. 

Knight's Choice in the Melbourne Cup has really been the only horse to charge through and win late.

Key Event

45m agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 5:25am

Race 9 shapes as one of the most competitive of the day.

This Group 3 race for the four-year-olds appears to have several strong winning chances.

Konasana (4), Aviatress (5) and Miss Aria (9) should be near the front in the closing stages of this race.

Scratchings: 7, 11, 15 and 17

Our photographer Tara Whitchurch has been at Flemington all day.

Here are some great moments she's captured from the crowd.

We had some runaway brides earlier — here are some jockeys and pirates!

We return to the track with the third-last race of the day.

Catoggio has won the  VRC Springtime Stakes, half-a-length to Bosustow.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse is thrilled with the win.

Race 8 is a Listed Quality race for three-year-old horses over 1,400m.

Big Swinger (7) is unbeaten in two starts but has not raced at Flemington or over 1,400m.

Other last-start winners include Extremely Hardys (5), Marilyn's Edge (12) and Stage 'N Screen (13), while Komodo Dragon (9) has had three runs over 1,400m for two wins and a second.

Scratchings: 2, 3 and 11

The early leader, ridden by Jye Mcneil, for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, finished last in the Cup.

Key Event

1h agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 4:17am

Twenty-three years ago Sheila Laxon was the first female trainer to win the Melbourne Cup when Ethereal won the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.

Now Laxon, whose husband Laurie trained Empire Rose to win the Cup in 1988, has become a two-time success.

She told Nine her co-trainer, John Symons, had always been confident despite Knight's Choice's outsider status.

"He did, he did. He started the race, and he knew how to ride him. We didn't give him instructions, he knew what to do," she said.

"I love it being down for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it, and Robbie is Australian now as well, so I'm thrilled to win the Cup, and it is the people's Cup, and that's what it is all about."

Knight's Choice becomes only the sixth Australian-bred horse to win since 1993, and the first since Vow and Declare in 2019.

Key Event

1h agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 4:12am

Robbie Dolan was on an absolute outsider in Knight's Choice.

But now the Irish jockey, who was previously best known for a decent stint as a contestant on The Voice, has won the biggest race in Australia!

He's talking to Channel Nine, and you can imagine his reaction.

"Pinch me, I'm dreaming," he's said to Billy Slater.

"It is incredible. I can't believe it. I don't even know what to say.

"I watched every Melbourne Cup for the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him to stay the trip, and hopefully he can run home and do the quick sectionals, he can on a good track and he proved everybody wrong."

Key Event

2h agoTue 5 Nov 2024 at 4:09am

Knight's Choice, ridden by Robbie Dolan, wins the race that stops the nation!

Second was Warp Speed, and third was Okita Soushi.

The win gives NZ trainer Sheila Laxon her second Melbourne Cup!

It is time for the 164th running of the Melbourne Cup.

The horses and jockeys are being loaded into the barrier.

Listen live to the call on ABC Sport.

The Melbourne Cup is for the stayers — those who race over the longer distances.

Australia's most-watched horse race is 3,200m in length.

It has been that distance since Australia converted to the metric system in 1972.

Previously the race was run over two miles, which was 3,219m.

Sometimes people will refer to the length of the Melbourne Cup as "two metric miles".

The winner will usually complete the race in about 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

21: Positivity

Positivity, the four-year-old mare from New Zealand, is looking to cause a major upset in this year's Melbourne Cup. The mare has four wins from her 12 starts, with Group 3 success. Positivity has won at 2,500m but will need the run of its career to win this afternoon.

22: Saint George

International raider Saint George is a genuine stayer who is an outside chance of featuring in the placings this afternoon. The five-year-old stallion from Great Britain has two wins in his career.

Saint George has not featured in his Australian races, but it should be fine over 3,200m.

23: The Map

Australian hope The Map is a long shot this afternoon.

Nine wins from 32 starts for the six-year-old mare, The Map will need the best run of its career to win the Melbourne Cup.

Distance should not be an issue and The Map has won at Flemington.

24: Trust In You

New Zealand's Trust In You would cause a huge upset to win the Melbourne Cup. A winner at Group 3 level across the Tasman, Trust In You ran an impressive fourth in a Group 1 at Randwick last month, 3.5 lengths behind Land Legend.

Trust In You should be outclassed by this field.

17 - Fancy Man

Irish import trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald in Victoria, this lightweight seven-year-old has the job ahead.

Drawn in barrier 19, with no wins beyond 2,414m and no runs at 3,200m, there is a big query whether he gets the distance.

Came sixth in the Caulfield Cup last start. He will be ridden by Ron Stewart.

18 - Interpretation

Another Ciaron Maher horse, this Irish import carrying 50kg is going for his third Melbourne Cup run.

He failed to finish in 2022, and flashed home for sixth last year.

His last two runs have had similar fast finishes for sixth in the Bart Cummings (G3, 2,520m) and second in the Geelong Cup (G2, 2,400m).

His record at Flemington is not good, however - 11 runs for one placing.

19 - Manzoice

A Chris Waller entry, this five-year-old gelding won the Victorian Derby (G1, 2,500m) two years ago, but hasn't shown much since.

He prepped for the Melbourne Cup with a seventh place at the Moonee Valley Cup 10 days ago, and is seen as a better runner with some rain in the ground.

Will need to lift substantially to be involved in the finish.

20 - Mostly Cloudy

An Irish import for the training duo of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, this six-year-old gelding came second in the Brisbane Cup in June over 3,200m.

Seen as a possible rough chance to make the first four, his overall record over 3,200m is three runs for a first and a second.

Ridden by Hong Kong-based Mauritian jockey Karis Teetan.

13: Onesmoothoperator

Here is one of the genuine chances to win this year's Melbourne Cup. Onesmoothoperator announced himself to the Australian public with a commanding win in the Group 3 Geelong Cup last month.

Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010), and Dunaden (2011) were able to complete the Geelong-Melbourne Cup double, so there is precedence there.

Onesmoothoperator has raced and won at distances greater than 3,200m, so the distance is no issue. With former Cup-winning jockey Craig Williams in the saddle, Onesmoothoperator is a big chance.

14: Zardozi

Can trainer James Cummings follow his legendary grandfather's path to Cup glory? Zardozi ran on Saturday and is backing up on Tuesday, just how Bart Cummings won 11 of his 12 Cups.

Those believing in Zardozi will point to his win in the Group 1 Kennedy Oaks during last year's Melbourne Cup Carnival as an example of his ability to win a longer race at Flemington. The lighter weight of 51kg will certainly help its case.

15: Sea King

Not many were looking at Sea King a month ago, but the six-year-old gelding's win in the Group 3 Bendigo Cup raised eyebrows.

Sea King is a genuine stayer, but a Group 3 race is the highest class he has won. Sea King should be able to finish strongly.

16: Valiant King

Valiant King is one of the long shots in this afternoon's Melbourne Cup.

The four-year-old gelding has one win in his career and has not been remarkable in recent outings. It would be a shock to see Valiant King win the Melbourne Cup.

9 - Absurde

The second of Willie Mullins' entries, this seven-year-old gelding came seventh last year and with a better-timed run might have hit the placings.

He has a good draw in barrier seven, comes off a solid win in the Chester Stakes (2,916m) and will carry 52.5kg, half a kilo less than last year.

Ridden by three-time Cup winner Kerrin McEvoy, who can equal the record of Bobby Lewis and Harry White with a victory today.

10 - Athabascan

(SCRATCHED)

11 - Knight's Choice

One of the few Australian-bred horses in the field, this five-year-old gelding is trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon - New Zealander Laxon trained Ethereal to win the Melbourne and Caulfield Cup double 23 years ago.

Has had average form before a fifth place in last week's Bendigo Cup (2,400m).

Has never run at 3,200m and his sire (father) was a sprinter, so definitely a query at the trip.

12 - Okita Soushi

Another Ciaron Maher-trained contender, this Irish import finished 11th in last year's Melbourne Cup, but has won over 3,200m.

Likes good going, and comes off a solid second in the Herbert Power at Caulfield (G2, 2,400m) before a win in the Moonee Valley Cup (G2, 2,500m).

Ridden by Jamie Kah, who is in form after winning the Victoria Derby on Saturday on Goldrush Guru.