Knight’s Choice, ridden by Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, claimed Lexus Melbourne Cup gold as European trainers including Willie Mullins failed to fire in the Flemington feature.
Ireland and Britain appeared set to mount strong challenges for the two-mile contest with Mullins’s pair of Vauban and Absurde joined by Harry Eustace’s Bendigo Cup winner Sea King and the Brian Ellison-trained Geelong Cup hero Onesmoothoperator towards the head of the betting.
None of them could land a blow, however, as Knight’s Choice and Japanese runner Warp Speed battled it out in the dying strides, with Australia-based Kildare man Dolan just prevailing on Knight’s Choice, who is trained in partnership by John Symons and Sheila Laxon.
Absurde fared best of the European quartet in fifth, improving on last year’s seventh place, while Mullins’s other entrant, Vauban, finished 11th. Onesmoothoperator came 12th and Sea King 14th of the 23 runners.
Dolan rode in Ireland for a couple of seasons before moving to Australia, where he hit the headlines off the track after featuring on TV series The Voice in 2022.
“Pinch me, I think I’m dreaming! It’s incredible, I can’t believe it,” he told Channel Nine.
“I’ve never ridden in this race before so I didn’t know what to expect, but I feel like I’ve ridden in it 10 times because I’ve ran the race in my head before I got here.
“It panned out exactly as I thought it would. I thought I’d be closer, but they went quick and I decided I’d ride him for luck as I know he’s got a good turn of foot.
“Sheila and John were so confident in this horse before he got to the race, a lot of people doubted him but I didn’t.”
Dolan’s father Bobby worked for Dermot Weld in Ireland and surprised his son by arriving in Australia before the race.
The winning rider added: “I woke up Sunday morning and he was standing in my kitchen – I couldn’t believe it. Win, lose or draw, it was a great day for me but to win it with him here as well as my partner and daughter, I’m going to cry again!”
It was a second Melbourne Cup success for Laxon, who became the first woman to officially train the winner of the race when she saddled Ethereal to victory in 2001.
She said: “It’s fantastic, we’ve got some fabulous owners and had lots of help along the way from everyone at Macedon Lodge [training base] and people back home.
“The most special moment for me is my son John and daughter Lucy came over with their children, it’s just such an amazing experience to share it with them.”
Symons added: “This is the pinnacle of all pinnacles, we’ve just won the Melbourne Cup.”
Mullins said he has not given up on his Lexus Melbourne Cup ambitions after falling short with the same runners he had entered in last year’s feature.
On Tuesday both Absurde and Vauban were settled in the pack through the early stages before trying to challenge in the straight.
Vauban’s run down the middle of the track soon petered out to finish 11th, but Absurde made strides on the inside rail and was eventually beaten just under two lengths in fifth.
Mullins could envisage a third attempt on the race for Absurde, although Vauban appears unlikely to try his luck again.
“We will see how Vauban is in the morning, but the writing appeared to be on the wall from halfway,” the trainer told Channel Nine.
“I was delighted with Absurde. Kerrin [McEvoy] wanted to have him a little bit closer but he got a little bit of trouble or something early on, he got a bit further back than he anticipated passing the winning post.
“To run the way he did and finish the way he did from that position was a hell of a run – we’re delighted with him.
“I would say Absurde might come back, but it’s probably not Vauban’s track. I’m sure [Absurde’s owner] the HOS Syndicate will be keen to come back and we’ll see what happens. We’ll try to find one or two more.
Knight’s Choice was returned a huge outsider for the race with Warp Speed another long-shot after he finished well down the field in the Caulfield Cup for trainer Noboru Takagi on his Australian bow.
Beaten just a short head, stable spokesman Kosi Kawakami told www.racing.com: “It was obviously a great run and we knew we could turn the form around, we were confident but at the same time, we just can never be sure in racing, but he proved that.
“We are very, very proud of him but at the same time, with that little margin, we just desperately wanted to win this race, the same as everyone else.”
Ex-Joseph O’Brien runner Okita Soushi was three-quarters of a length back in third for jockey Jamie Kah after racing prominently throughout.
She said: “Fantastic run. Couldn’t have asked for anything more from the horse. Got me a bit excited at the 200 [metre mark]. I thought he was going to hang on, but he’s just a genuine one-pace horse, but couldn’t ask for anything more of him.”
