Without A Fight stormed home to complete a big-race double in the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained runner won the Caulfield Cup on his previous run and followed up in style under Mark Zahra in the two-mile Group 1.

Previously trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight finished 13th in the Melbourne Cup last year, but 12 months on, he was a clear-cut victor.

The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban was sent off favourite for the race and Ryan Moore appeared to have bagged a nice position on the inside rail, settling in fifth place as Serpentine – winner of the 2020 Derby but now trained in Australia – set out to make all.

Hollie Doyle, who was making her Melbourne Cup debut, raced prominently aboard Future History, but straightening up for home, the early pacesetters were starting to feel their efforts.

Ryan Moore switched Vauban out to challenge and he briefly looked to get his head in front two furlongs from home, only for his stablemate Absurde to swoop round his outside and grab the initiative.

However, Zahra was stoking up Without A Fight down the middle of the track and he hit the front a furlong out, fairly sprinting home to pull clear of another former British runner Soulcombe in second and Sheraz in third.

Absurde, who was ridden by Zac Purton, eventually came home seventh, while Vauban was 14th and Future History 15th. Joseph O’Brien’s contender Okita Soushi never really figured and finished 11th.

Without A Fight was the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, while Zahra is the first rider since Harry White in 1978 and 1979 to win successive Melbourne Cups on different horses having partnered Gold Trip last year.

“I thought the biggest opposition was my horse himself,” Zahra said.

“Going to the gates he was relaxed I thought this was a good sign.

“I was getting to the front early but I just through there was no way anything was coming from behind me and boom away we went.

“To change horses to get a bit of flack about my choice and for it to pay off is justified.”

Irish-bred, Without A Fight is a six-year-old by Teofilo. He was bred by his owner, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Makoum.

He is one of four winners out of Khor Sheed, and she was a member of Dubawi’s second crop. She sold as a foal to Joe Foley for 22,000gns, resold to Luca Cumani as a yearling for 42,000gns, and then as an 11-year-old she was picked up by Harry Dutfield for 26,000gns.

He sold her in February of this year at Tattersalls for 28,000gns, where she was purchased by BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohue for 28,000gns on behalf of Yulong Investments, and covered by Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega) at the Irish National Stud.