Melbourne Cup winner lays down the law

Master trainer Ciaron Maher wondered if King Charles III would be ruing his decision to part with Point Of Law after the favourite justified his tag in winning the $10 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

Maher, who saddled a record seven contenders, won Australia’s greatest race for the second time when Point Of Law mowed down his frontrunner Royal Supremacy in the straight and surged home under Ethan Brown.

Maher became the first trainer in the Cup’s 166-year history to snare the trifecta, with Zahrann finishing second and Juja Kibo third. He had a remarkable six horses in the top 10.

Royal Supremacy, who led by as much as 20 lengths before the field reached the home straight, was fifth and Shockletz was sixth under Harry Coffey.

Coffey rode Shockletz despite having surgery to insert a plate in his fractured collarbone just 48 hours before the race, following a scary Victoria Derby day fall.

“I knew I had my best hand going into it and I just had to execute,” said Maher, who also won the 2022 Cup with Gold Trip.

“I certainly didn’t know that Royal Supremacy would lead by that far, but there’s nothing better than a true staying test.”

The Maher camp bought Point Of Law from the royal stable after the son of Frankel won the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy (2615m) at Newmarket in July.

It was Point Of Law’s second win in only four starts, and his recent Geelong Cup triumph had him installed among the favourites for the race that stops a nation.

“Point Of Law, he’s just thrived. All the owners, what a ride they’ve been on,” Maher said.

“It’s been a whirlwind, really, but I’m very proud of all the team.

“To get three horses in the first three spots. I don’t even know where the rest finished yet, but very proud.”

Jockey Ethan Brown’s triumph marked a remarkable fightback after he suffered life-threatening injuries and lost more than five litres of blood in a horror race fall on the same track three years ago.

The Alice Springs-raised jockey was talked out of turning his hand to training by Maher, who has been one of his greatest supporters.

“He’s done nothing but support me and back me in,” Brown said.

“I’ve buggered up plenty of times on his horses and he’s had nothing but faith.

“He’s one of many people, but he’s believed in me … I’m quite speechless.”

There was rain about early in the day but the Cup was run in bright Flemington sunshine on a track that was rated a soft 5.

There was drama before the jump when leading trainer Chris Waller was fined $50,000 by Racing Victoria stewards, who found his runner Asterix mistakenly had a medication administered on race day.

Asterix, part-owned by former New Zealand international cricketer Mark Greatbatch, had Penetrene administered to both forelegs in its stable just hours before the Cup.

The eight-year-old gelding was subsequently scratched, leaving 2020 Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil without a ride in this year’s race.

Attendance at the track dipped slightly to about 84,000 in 2025 after 90,000 people came through the gates in 2024.

Those numbers were still well below the record attendance of 122,000 in 2003.

A Nup to the Cup protest picnic took place next to the racecourse, with attendees taking banners to the entrance of the Flemington precinct throughout the day.