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| Staff Writer |
Knight's Choice made history at Flemington on Tuesday as the 7YO gelding provided trainer Sheila Laxon with her second Melbourne Cup victory in a thrilling photo finish, while the highly-touted European contingent failed to make significant impact in Australia's most prestigious race.
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Local Success The winner, trained in partnership by Laxon and John Symons, delivered a masterclass under Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, holding off the fast-finishing Japanese challenger Warp Speed in a pulsating conclusion to the Gr.1 contest. The victory was made even more remarkable considering the challenging field of 23 runners that lined up for the two-mile championship.
The victory adds to Flemington's rich history, where previous winners include the mighty Makybe Diva (2003-05), who remains the only horse to win three consecutive Cups, Delta Blues (2006), who led home a famous Japanese one-two, and more recently Vow And Declare (2019), who kept the trophy on home soil. For Laxon, this triumph follows her groundbreaking success with Ethereal in 2001, when she became the first woman to officially train the winner of the race.
European Challenge Falters The European raiders, who arrived with strong credentials, failed to live up to expectations. Willie Mullins' pair Vauban and Absurde could only manage 11th and fifth respectively, while Brian Ellison's Geelong Cup hero Onesmoothoperator finished 12th. Harry Eustace's Bendigo Cup winner Sea King, ridden by Hollie Doyle, crossed the line in 14th place.
Mid-Race Drama The race developed intriguingly as Circle Of Fire, representing the powerful Ciaron Maher stable, made a bold bid under Mark Zahra but could only manage sixth place. Land Legend, trained by Chris Waller, showed early promise before fading to eighth under Zac Purton, while stablemate Buckaroo finished ninth with Joao Moreira aboard.
The well-fancied Kovalica never threatened under Damian Lane, finishing tenth, while Fancy Man, trained by the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald partnership, ran on steadily for seventh under Ron Stewart.
Emotional Victory For Dolan, who previously rode in Ireland before relocating to Australia, the victory marked a fairytale moment in his first Melbourne Cup ride. Adding to the emotion was the surprise appearance of his father Bobby, a former employee of Dermot Weld, who arrived unannounced before the race.
"Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming! It's incredible, I can't believe it," Dolan told Channel Nine. "I've never ridden in this race before so I didn't know what to expect, but I feel like I've ridden in it 10 times because I've ran the race in my head before I got here."
"It panned out exactly as I thought it would. I thought I'd be closer, but they went quick and I decided I ride him for luck as I know he's got a good turn of foot. Sheila and John were so confident in this horse before he got to the race, a lot of people doubted him but I didn't."
The winning partnership of Laxon and Symons was equally moved by their achievement. "It's fantastic, we've got some fabulous owners and had lots of help along the way from everyone at Macedon Lodge and people back home," said Laxon. "The most special moment for me is my son John and daughter Lucy came over with their children, it's just such an amazing experience to share it with them."
Japanese Connection Japanese runner Warp Speed, trained by Noboru Takagi, showed remarkable improvement from his disappointing Caulfield Cup run. His near-miss represented Japan's closest call since Pop Rock's second place in 2006. Stable spokesman Kosi Kawakami reflected on their narrow defeat: "It was obviously a great run and we knew we could turn the form around, we were confident but at the same time, we just can never be sure in racing, but he proved that. We are very, very proud of him but at the same time, with that little margin, we just desperately wanted to win this race, the same as everyone else."
Strong Supporting Cast Former Joseph O'Brien-trained Okita Soushi claimed third place under Jamie Kah, adding another dimension to the international flavour of the finish. Kah was philosophical about the result: "Fantastic run. Couldn't have asked for anything more from the horse. Got me a bit excited at the 200 (metre mark). I thought he was going to hang on, but he's just a genuine one-pace horse, but couldn't ask for anything more of him."
Zardozi, representing the Godolphin operation and trained by James Cummings, ran a mighty race to finish fourth under Andrea Atzeni, while further back Interpretation and Saint George never featured prominently in the contest, finishing 15th and 22nd respectively.
The backend of the field saw Trust In You, trained by the partnership of Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley, coming home in 17th, while Mostly Cloudy for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable finished 18th under Karis Teetan. Manzoice, another Waller runner, crossed the line in 19th position.
The race, contested by a field of 23 runners, once again confirmed its status as one of the world's premier staying contests, with Knight's Choice's victory adding another memorable chapter to Melbourne Cup history. For Symons, the emotion of the moment was captured in his simple statement: "This is the pinnacle of all pinnacles, we've just won the Melbourne Cup."
The result not only highlighted the strength of the Australian training ranks but also demonstrated the continued international appeal of the Melbourne Cup, with the first three home representing different racing jurisdictions. As the dust settles on another memorable edition of 'the race that stops a nation', Knight's Choice's name is now eternally etched in the annals of Australian racing history.