The fairytale finish to last year’s $8 million Melbourne Cup is slowly becoming a bureaucratic nightmare for training partnership Sheila Laxon and John Symons who are still waiting to be paid their share of the prizemoney.
Three months have passed since their 80-1 winner Knight’s Choice saluted in the race that stops the nation, but a banking mishap means the Sunshine Coast-based pair have not received their sizeable $464,000 cut.
Jockey Robbie Dolan (centre) hoists the Melbourne Cup with trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons.Credit: Eddie Jim
This week, Laxon and Symons launched legal action in the Queensland District Court against Racing Victoria who paid the prizemoney into an old bank account that the trainers can no longer access.
RV has been given 28 days to file a notice of an intention to defend.
The governing body of racing in this state released a statement on Wednesday saying they had taken steps to recover the money.
“We are not able to comment in any detail given that the matter is now the subject of proceedings,” Racing Victoria said.
Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice with trainer Sheila Laxon.Credit: Getty Images
“However note that RV has paid out all Melbourne Cup prizemoney as required, including to the bank account registered with us for Ms Laxon and Mr Symons’ trainer prizemoney payments in Victoria.
“We have taken the steps available to us to assist Ms Laxon and Mr Symons in recovering the money from what RV has subsequently been advised is their former account.”
RV did not reveal who now controls the old bank account.
The husband-and-wife team of Symons and Laxon helped deliver one of the stories of the 2024 spring carnival.
Their shock winner, Knight’s Choice, was bred to be a sprinter not a 3200m stayer and was ridden by part-time karaoke singer Robbie Dolan who first met Laxon on a Melbourne Cup-themed cruise ship.
“We knew that he had an amazing sprint from the Extreme Choice side,” Laxon said after the race. “So I think you need to have sprinters and teach them to be stayers. That’s my theory anyway.”
It was Symons’ first Melbourne Cup victory, but Laxon’s second as she had become the first woman to train a winner in the great race with Ethereal in 2001.
After meeting at Macedon Lodge, the pair set up a training base in Seymour before moving to the Sunshine Coast seven years supposedly to retire. They have about horses in work.
More to come
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