Jamie Melham made history by becoming the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, piloting Half Yours to victory in the 165th running of the race. The five-year-old gelding surged clear at the 100-meter mark, securing the $4.5 million prize for connections. Melham completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double, exactly a decade after Michelle Payne's landmark win.
Goodie Two Shoes finished second, with Middle Earth third and River Of Stars fourth. Half Yours was the only Australian-bred horse in the 24-horse field and became just the 13th runner to achieve the Cups double. An emotional Melham was congratulated by Payne, who said, 'Welcome to the club.' Melham tearfully replied, 'How do you get the words out?'
However, the race was marred by an incident involving jockey Jye McNeil, who received an 18-race suspension for careless riding on Valiant King. Stewards charged him for an incident at the 2500-meter mark involving Blake Shinn and Stephane Pasquier.
In other Cup-related news, King Charles III's horse Gilded Water has recovered from a bleeding condition and will race on Saturday, with Melbourne Cup qualification plans back on track. Emerging stayer Zakouma won the Listed Andrew Ramsden at Flemington, booking a spot in the 2026 Melbourne Cup. South Australian trainer Garret Lynch is also aiming for a Cup ticket with staying mare Alainge in the same race.
