Jockey Jamie Melham became the second woman to win the Melbourne Cup after riding Half Yours to a two-length victory at Flemington on Tuesday. The five-year-old gelding, the only Australian-bred horse in the race, triumphed on a wet track in front of around 80,000 spectators, finishing ahead of Goodie Two Shoes with Middle Earth third.
Moments after the win, Melham, who last month became the first female jockey to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double, told Channel Nine: “What just happened? Oh my god. This is what we do it for, this is why we get up out of bed every morning at 4am, work our arses off for the last 15 years.”
Melham’s victory comes exactly a decade after Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the race on Prince of Penzance. Payne interviewed Melham trackside afterwards, saying: “Welcome to the club.” Payne praised Melham as an “out-and-out athlete” who has “revolutionised racing”, predicting more women would follow in their footsteps.
The 29-year-old jockey has overcome significant adversity, including an induced coma after a fall in 2023 and the death of her grandfather last week. “The last thing he watched was the Caulfield Cup, and he was such a big supporter of mine, so he’s up there opening those gaps for me,” she said.
Co-trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy said Half Yours had “continued to raise the bar”. Tony McEvoy added: “From the days we grew up, the Melbourne Cup was everything.” The winner’s prize money of $4.5m is divided among owners (around $3.8m), trainers ($450,000) and jockey ($225,000).
