Jamie Melham grew to become the second feminine jockey to win the Melbourne Cup when guiding Half Yours to victory at Flemington.
The Australian can also be the primary lady to say the Melbourne Cup-Caulfield Cup double on the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained gelding.
Her win comes 10 years after Michelle Payne created historical past driving Prince Of Penzance.
Following the victory, Melham informed Australia’s 9 Community: “This is why we get up out of bed every morning at 4am… it’s tough.
“It isn’t all superb and excellent, as everybody can see generally.
“I’ve had an amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now I’m feeling.”
Half Yours – the one Australian-bred horse within the 24-strong area – was among the many favourites to make the most of the comfortable observe after sporadic rain.
The five-year-old was in a tussle by the closing phases with Joseph O’Brien’s Goodie Two Sneakers, however Melham kicked on the good time to cross the end line almost three lengths clear.
The JP McManus-owned Goodie Two Sneakers held on for second, with Center Earth coming third and River of Stars ending fourth.
Melham beat her husband Ben on board Smokin’ Romans (14th) to the end line, with the 2 sharing a second after the race.
Jamie Melham holds her trophy aloft after driving Half Yours to win the Melbourne Cup (AP Photograph/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
She used her post-race interview to pay tribute to her grandfather, who died final week.
“I have to mention my grandpa,” mentioned Melham.
“He died last week. The last thing he watched was the Caulfield Cup, and he was such a big supporter of mine.
“So he is up there opening these gaps for me as a result of I wanted a number of gaps open then.”
Al Riffa – additionally educated by Eire’s O’Brien – obtained a mountain of late assist, however was unable to interrupt away as he crossed the road in seventh place.
O’Brien was looking for a 3rd Melbourne Cup victory whereas Willie Mullins failed to copy his Breeders’ Cup heroics with Absurde who might solely end in eighth place.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Meydaan completed tenth with Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator hampered by the rain again in sixteenth.
