Jockey Jye McNeil has been handed an 18-race suspension for careless riding during the Melbourne Cup. Stewards charged McNeil after his mount Valiant King was involved in an incident at the 2500m mark involving riders Blake Shinn and Stephane Pasquier.
The suspension overshadowed the victory of Half Yours, ridden by Jamie Melham, who became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Melham completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double, exactly a decade after Michelle Payne's historic win.
Melham broke down in tears after the race, with Payne congratulating her saying, 'Welcome to the club.' Half Yours, the only Australian-bred horse in the 24-horse field, won the $4.5 million prize and became the 13th horse to achieve the Cups double.
Goodie Two Shoes finished second, Middle Earth third, and River Of Stars fourth. The incident involving McNeil has marred the otherwise celebrated event.
