Favourite Point Of Law has run down frontrunner Royal Supremacy to win the $10 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington, crowning a remarkable return for jockey Ethan Brown, who almost died in a horrendous fall two years ago.
Master trainer Ciaron Maher, who saddled a record seven runners in Australia’s greatest race, claimed his second Melbourne Cup.
He also trained the trifecta, with Zahrann second and Juja Kibo third.
Point Of Law came into the race as one of the most inexperienced favourites in its history. Formerly part of King Charles III’s racing team, the son of Frankel arrived in Australia with just four starts in Britain, including a Group 3 win in the Bahrain Trophy over 2600m at Newmarket in July.
Maher trained Gilded Water for His Majesty, and that royal connection was pivotal in securing Point Of Law for a group of well-heeled stable clients.
The four-year-old won the Geelong Cup on his Australian debut, making him the fourth horse to complete the Geelong Cup and Melbourne Cup double, after Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).
“This was a good sort of insight into how he was going to be … we thought he had enough ability, but because he’s so lightly raced, you don’t know how (he might adapt in a) new country,” said trainer Ciaron Maher after the Geelong Cup win.
Point Of Law finished strongly under Brown on a track rated a soft 5. Rain was about early in the day but held off for the Cup.
There was drama before the jump when leading trainer Chris Waller was fined $50,000 by Racing Victoria stewards, who found his runner Asterix had mistakenly been given a medication on race day.
The eight-year-old gelding, part-owned by former New Zealand international cricketer Mark Greatbatch, had Penetrene administered to both forelegs in its stable just hours before the Cup.
Asterix was scratched, leaving 2020 Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil without a ride in this year’s race.
Off the track, the clouds parted after a grey start to the day.
A sea of sharply dressed punters packed the main entrance well before the gates opened at 9am, when racing fans made a break for the front lawn.
Despite a cloudy top of just 17C and morning drizzle, the sun peeked through around midday and crowds swapped umbrellas for sunnies.
Attendance at the track dipped slightly to about 84,000 in 2025, after 90,000 people came through the gates in 2024. Both figures were well below the record of 122,000 set in 2003.
British singer Robbie Williams is set to lift spirits further with the Cup’s biggest pre-race performance in the Mounting Yard, and an hour-long show to follow the final race.
In the Birdcage, Melbourne’s elite rubbed shoulders with Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who is in town filming the action-thriller Deadlocked.
“I like embracing traditional racewear which, when my mother was going to races was a tailored skirt suit,” said racing identity Emma Freedman, who paid homage to 1980s and 1990s racewear in a self-proclaimed “mob wife inspired” custom leopard-print Dolce and Gabbana look.
Fashion influencer Charlene Davies turned heads in the Lexus marquee in a 4kg reflective golden gown made by a Shanghainese artist.
“It was very exciting, I’m a little relieved it’s over because I was a bit nervous,” said Jules Neale, who had the honour of tapping a giant bottle of flowing champagne outside the G.H. Mumm tent.
Brisbane premiership players Conor McKenna and Hugh McCluggage proudly showed off their three-peat trophy, although a dodgy shoulder meant Mr McCluggage was unable to lift the cup for photos.
“We started with the fabric which are daisies, and then for the millinery the inspiration of the base is the centre of the daisy,” said Fashions on the Field contestant Fiona Schwarzinger, who travelled from Perth with fellow contestant Louise Seery.
For one Queensland racegoer, the day ticked off a bucket list item. She brought sunshine to the track in a bright yellow gown bought at a formal shop, joined by friend Lucy Philip, who snagged a ticket from her father after he won them in a footy tipping competition.
“It’s huge, the tracks in Queensland are nowhere near this size,” said Queensland stablehand Ruby Pearse.