Lexus Melbourne Cup (Group 1)

KNIGHT’S Choice has won the 2024 Group 1 Melbourne Cup in a 90/1 triumph for Robbie Dolan and trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons, with Laxon having won previously with Ethereal in 2001.

In dry sunny conditions, Dolan settled the Extreme Choice gelding near the tail of the 23-horse field as an honest pace was set. Swinging into the straight, the pair had 18 horses ahead and were eight lengths from the leaders.

Alongside the Japanese runner Warp Speed, both horses saved ground, taking the gaps available. Okita Soushi and Zardozi looked to be fighting the race out at the 200m mark as Absurde made good ground on the rail, but it was Knight’s Choice and Warp Speed with the greater momentum through the field that hit the front 50m out. The two went to the line locked together, with the bob going the way of Knight’s Choice.

“Well, pinch me. I think I’m dreaming,” said an ecstatic Dolan. “It’s incredible. I just can’t believe it. I don’t even know what to say, it panned out exactly as I thought it would.

“I’ve never ridden this race before, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I feel like I’ve ridden it 10 times, because I’ve run the race over in my head before I got here.

“I thought I’d be a pair closer, but they went quick. I just rode him for luck because I know he’s got a good turn of foot. What a training performance.”

Surprise visit

Aboard the 90/1 outsider Dolan had been confident, the win celebrated with his partner Christine, their daughter Maisie and Dolan’s father Bobby, who made a surprise visit. “Robbie didn’t have a clue I was coming over, his partner organised it and I got picked up at the airport,” said Bobby.

“I worked for Dermot (Weld) for a long time, I was involved with him when he had the two Melbourne Cup winners. This is my first time going to Melbourne, I am so proud of Robbie and I am absolutely buzzing, this means so much.”

For Sheila Laxon, it was a homecoming of sorts, as she had burst from obscurity having prepared Ethereal to win the 2001 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double from Macedon Lodge, when it was owned by Kurt Stern and where she first met John Symons.

The pair, based in Queensland the past 10 years, returned to Macedon Lodge to put the finishing touches on Knight’s Choice.

“It’s great to see that sort of training come to fore, he is by a sprinting sire, and if you train them to relax and travel, they can win races like this. Macedon really allows horses to do that.”

Wearing a pendant containing a strand of Etheral’s hair given to Sheila by her daughter, the trainer who has a perfect two-from-two record in the Cup, said she didn’t need good luck just a dry track.

Amazing ride

“It was just an awesome and amazing ride by Robbie,” added Laxon of Knights Choice’s regular jockey. “We didn’t give him instructions, he just knew what to do. Obviously, when you win something like this, it takes a while to register. John is over the moon and the owners are just so thrilled. It’s great to be part of it.

“Do you know what’s great? I love it being done for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it and Robbie’s Australian now as well. So, I’m thrilled to win the Cup. It’s the People’s Cup and that’s what it’s all about.”

An $85,000 Magic Millions yearling, whose sire Extreme Choice is only the second behind Sir Tristram to produce both a Golden Slipper and Melbourne Cup winner, Knight’s Choice is the first Australian-bred to win the race since Vow And Declare in 2019.

Mullins disappointed

For Willie Mullins, the result was bittersweet, fifth for Absurde and 11th for Vauban.

“I’m very, very happy with Absurde,” said Mullins. “Things didn’t go well for him in the early part of the race, he got a bit further out than Kerrin (McEvoy) wanted him to be, so considering where he was, to finish fifth was a tremendous run, I’m very happy with him.

“You could see Vauban was struggling at halfway. He wasn’t able to hold his place the way he should have been, and William (Buick) was very disappointed.”

As frustrated as the team must be, Willie was not ruling out a return. “We’ve still got that itch to scratch. We’ll have to reload, I hope, but we’ll see what happens.”

ONE punter celebrated winning the bet of a lifetime, after they scooped a staggering A$3.2 million for correctly picking the first four home in the Melbourne Cup.

The punter, who placed the bet with Ladbrokes online, successfully chose outsider Knight’s Choice along with runner-up Warp Speed, the third-placed Okita Soushi and Zardozi, who came home in fourth.

The remarkable win came off an A$100 stake, with the punter unaware of just how much money they had won.

Another punter took home A$728,000 for also successfully picking the first four.

AFTER all the pre-race veterinary checks, all horses were reported to be clear of any injuries post race, with only Saint George suffering a cut.