Knight’s Choice has caused a monumental Melbourne Cup upset giving co-trainer Sheila Laxon a second success in the great race, 23 years after she first won it with Ethereal, this time with partner John Symons.
It was the ultimate underdog result, with Knight’s Choice a $91 shot, being by a sprint sire in Extreme Choice, trained by a Queensland-based couple who had never had a Group 1 winner in partnership, ridden by a jockey in Robbie Dolan, who until this point, was more famous for his singing voice than his exploits in the saddle.
Dolan was singing on a P & O cruise two years ago when he met Laxon and Symons and posed for a picture with the Melbourne Cup. That moment has now come full circle, with the trio united again in the Flemington Melbourne Cup as winning trainers and jockey.
In just his third ride at Flemington, Dolan delivered with perfect timing, slicing his way through the field past tiring horses in the final 200 metres and then repelling a determined challenge from Japanese raider Warp Speed to win by a slender margin.
Okita Soushi finished third, having looked the winner with 100 metres to go, edging out Zardozi, who was also presented into the race but couldn’t withstand the last sprint from the first two home.
A PHOTO FINISH IN THE MELBOURNE CUP! WOW! @FlemingtonVRC
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Laxon had already created history when she became the first female trainer to win the Cup, 23 years ago. She hasn’t had a Cup runner since, but that experience was crucial in shaping her approach with Knight’s Choice.
Her and Symons based their preparation at Macedon Lodge, where Ethereal had built up to her Cup success.
"The magic of Macedon. It is an incredible place and I'm so glad that we've done this and been there and trained out of there. So fantastic," Laxon, who wore a pedant with a lock of Ethereal’s hair in it for luck on Tuesday.
Symons and Laxon’s relationship was built from those Cup-winning days and the couple, who moved to Queensland intending to retire seven years ago, have a Melbourne Cup to share thanks to Knight’s Choice.
“You work with these horses 24/7 and you know where you've got them. You'd be disappointed if he didn't run a good race,” Symons said.
“To run top five in a race like this, you've got to walk away happy. To win it, it's a dream come true."
The other remarkable aspect of the story is Dolan. The Irish-born hoop came to Australia eight years ago but admitted there were times where his promising music career - he had shot to prominence on the TV talent show The Voice – looked a better path.
Bren O’Brien
“At one stage, I was struggling to get a few rides, and I was thinking, I might just do music. And then I just missed riding winners. I missed the camaraderie of the jockeys in the room.
“And I was never going to give it up. I think it's in my blood to be a jockey,” he said.
“If you're willing to work hard, you'll be rewarded and that's one thing that I've always been taught since I was young.
“Australia is just a great place to live and work and you're always surrounded by great people in this industry over here. And there aren't many jockeys who have won a Melbourne Cup!”
The other aspect of the story is the ownership, which consists of Cameron Bain, a long-term stable client as well as the Waldron family.
They were offered $2.3 million for the horse after his win in the Winx Guineas last year, but opted to press on and have now been rewarded with victory in Australia’s most storied race.
Bain said that it was a long-term plan to target the race.
Knight's Choice wins the 2024 Melbourne Cup. (Vision: YouTube)
“The Melbourne Cup was put on the table probably 12 months ago. John wasn't quite sure. It was just, how do we get there? What do we do?” Bain said.
“But that was always the grand final. But today, hot weather, firm tracks. I had a really good feeling.”
I thought today's when he's going to really show his best. I think that's the summary of the prep. We just needed things to line up. And we'd see how good he was.”
Knight’s Choice was purchased for $85,000 as a yearling through Magic Millions in 2021, offered by his breeders at Elswick Park.
“You work with these horses 24/7 and you know where you've got them. You'd be disappointed if he didn't run a good race” - Melbourne Cup-winning co-trainer John Symons
He is just the fourth Australian-bred Melbourne Cup winner this century and the first by an Australian-bred sire since Rogan Josh in 1999.
Extreme Choice becomes the first sire since Sir Tristram to have produced both a Melbourne Cup winner and a Golden Slipper winner.
