Knight’s Choice has won the Melbourne Cup in a photo finish ahead of Warp Speed in a boilover finish to the race that stops the nation.
Okita Soushi finished third and Zardozi was fourth across the line as a photo finish decided all placings in the marquee race.
The Cup trifecta paid $22,576.80 while the first four paid $728,015.70
Jockey, and part-time singer, Robbie Dolan was aboard Knight’s Choice, and was in disbelief after his win.
“Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” he told Nine.
“I watched every Melbourne Cup f0r the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him [Knight’s Choice] 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.”
Dolan came to Australia from Ireland eight years ago, and was a contestant on TV’s The Voice in 2022. He became emotional when reminded about his journey.
“I can’t put it into words. It is the biggest race in the world. I have my family here and my partner Christine, our little baby Maisy, and my dad flew over from Ireland, and now you have me in tears.”
Knight’s Choice, trained by Sheila Laxon and John Symons, opened at 100-1 in the betting and was paying $63.50.
The boilover result marks Laxon’s second Melbourne Cup. She now works in partnership with Symons on the Gold Coast.
Laxon was based in New Zealand when she became the first woman to win the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double with Ethereal back in 2001.
After Knight’s Choice’s strong winter in Queensland, including group placings in the Q22 and Tatt’s Cup, Laxon brought the horse to Melbourne for the spring but it struggled, meaning expectations were low ahead of Tuesday’s race.
The horse came 14th of 18 in the Caulfield Cup, but shocked the racing world with the narrow upset win.
Jamie Kah, on board Okita Soushi, said she got excited at 200-metre mark, but it wasn’t to be.
More to come.
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