Under the open sky at Flemington, a horse once owned by a king reached the front in the race that Australians say stops the nation, and the moment carried more than sporting weight. Point of Law, sold earlier this year by King Charles to a group of investors, was ridden by Ethan Brown, a jockey who had once come close to losing his life and who never imagined as a boy that he would stand in such a place. The victory arrived beside a stain of medication error and a continuing public unease about whether such contests still belong to a changing country. Some tensions remain unresolved, and the d
King Charles's former horse Point of Law wins the Melbourne Cup under jockey Ethan Brown
Don't wake me up, this is every jockey's dream.
Mark
A royal horse winning in Australia is a good headline, but why does the sale matter to the story?
Mimi
Because Point of Law was the King's until earlier this year. He was sold to investors including Chris Judd and his wife Bec, and then won the biggest race in the country.
Mark
And the jockey's story?
Mimi
Ethan Brown grew up in Alice Springs. In 2023 a fall put him in hospital for six months away from racing, and he says he was inches from losing his life.
Luke
Worth saying that line is his own description. The report gives the fall and the six months, but not the medical detail.
Mark
What about the race itself?
Mimi
Royal Supremacy was more than a dozen lengths ahead at one stage. Brown stayed patient, then moved through from mid-field on the home stretch.
Luke
The sale price was undisclosed, so we can't say what the King's side made or lost on it.
Mark
Then there's the Asterix scratching.
Mimi
A stable worker gave the horse penetrene on race day, which is banned. Stewards called it a serious breach, though applied in error.
Luke
The A$50,000 fine on Chris Waller is only reported as reported, via the Age. It isn't confirmed in this account.
Mark
And the declining interest?
Mimi
The Guardian Essential poll found 9% with high interest, but over 60% still see the race as part of national identity.
Luke
That's one poll. And record betting last year, $382.5 million, doesn't obviously fit a falling-interest story, so I'd hold the two loosely.
Il Polso
- Point of Law, a former royal racehorse, surged from mid-field to win the Melbourne Cup in the final stretch.
- Asterix was scratched after a stable worker gave it a banned inflammation drug on race morning, sparking a serious breach finding and a reported A$50,000 fine for trainer Chris Waller.
- Animal-welfare protesters from the Nup to the Cup movement gathered outside Flemington, holding signs against racing and whips.
- Public interest is slipping, with only 9% of Australians reporting high interest in the race, even as last year's betting reached a record A$382.5 million.
Under the open sky at Flemington, a horse once owned by a king reached the front in the race that Australians say stops the nation, and the moment carried more than sporting weight. Point of Law, sold earlier this year by King Charles to a group of investors, was ridden by Ethan Brown, a jockey who had once come close to losing his life and who never imagined as a boy that he would stand in such a place. The victory arrived beside a stain of medication error and a continuing public unease about whether such contests still belong to a changing country. Some tensions remain unresolved, and the day offers a glimpse of tradition holding its ground while its audience slowly wonders what it still means.
With a few hundred metres left at Flemington on Tuesday, Ethan Brown asked Point of Law for everything, and the horse swept from the middle of the field into the lead to win the Melbourne Cup. The three-year-old was until earlier this year owned by King Charles, who sold him to a group of investors that includes former AFL player Chris Judd and his wife Bec. Trained by Ciaron Maher, the horse had been an early favourite and had won the Geelong Cup the month before.
The race was not easy for Brown. He held his nerve while another runner pulled well clear, telling himself to stay cool and patient, and then he drove his horse past the leader. Afterwards he said it was every jockey's dream and called the horse something special. Brown, who grew up in Alice Springs, admitted he had once been inches from losing his life after a fall in 2023 that kept him out of racing for six months.
The day was not without trouble. Asterix was scratched after a stable worker gave it penetrene that morning, a treatment that is forbidden on race day. Stewards called it an error but still a serious breach, and trainer Chris Waller was reportedly fined A$50,000, describing it as a simple mistake under pressure.
Outside the track, protesters from the Nup to the Cup movement held signs against the industry's biggest day. Their message stood against a shifting public mood, as a Guardian Essential poll found that only 9% of Australians were highly interested in the race, though most still see it as part of national identity. Last year's record betting suggests the sport's question is whether that waning passion will soon reach the till.
With a few hundred metres left at Flemington on Tuesday, Ethan Brown asked Point of Law for everything, and the horse moved from the middle of the field into the lead. It was enough to win the Melbourne Cup, the race Australians call the one that stops a nation.
Point of Law was owned until earlier this year by King Charles, who sold him for an undisclosed sum to a group of investors that includes former AFL player Chris Judd and his wife Bec. The three-year-old thoroughbred was considered an early favourite. He is trained by Ciaron Maher and won the Geelong Cup last month.
The race did not run easily for Brown. Royal Supremacy surged more than a dozen lengths clear, and Brown said he kept telling himself to stay cool and stay patient. He held that line until the home stretch, then pushed his horse past the leader. Afterwards he said, "Don't wake me up, this is every jockey's dream." Of the horse, he said: "He's going to be a superstar horse. He's something special," adding that Point of Law was in the best of hands with Maher.
Maher had a record seven horses in this year's cup, and his stable also supplied the placegetters: Zahrann ran second and Juja Kibo ran first among those mentioned, according to the report's account of his runners. The Melbourne Cup has been run since 1861. Its A$10.2m prize (about £5.3m) makes it the country's third richest race, though it is regarded as the most prestigious.
Brown grew up in Alice Springs and said he never imagined as a child that he would ride in the Melbourne Cup, crediting a lot of great support in his career. He also said he was "inches from losing my life" after a fall from his horse in a 2023 race. That fall put him in hospital and kept him out of racing for six months.
Tens of thousands of people filled Flemington in sunny weather, and they were entertained by Robbie Williams. Organisers said his show, with a 10-piece band, backup dancers and pyrotechnics, was the biggest pre-cup performance ever staged at the course.
The day also had its trouble. Asterix was scratched earlier on Tuesday after it emerged that a stable worker had given the horse penetrene that morning. The drug treats inflammation and muscle soreness, but no treatment of any kind is allowed on race day. Stewards said it was applied in error but was still a serious breach, the Age reported. Trainer Chris Waller was reportedly fined A$50,000 (£26,000), and he described the incident as a simple mistake by a staff member under pressure.
Outside the track, protesters from the nationwide "Nup to the Cup" movement gathered on the industry's highest-profile day. Their signs read "horse racing kills", "don't bet on cruelty" and "no more whips".
The protests sit against a shifting public mood. A Guardian Essential poll this year found just 9% of Australians had high interest in the race and 23% moderate interest, yet more than 60% called it a unique part of the national identity. Last year the race drew a record $382.5 million in bets, so the question for the sport is whether declining interest eventually reaches the betting figures.
Citazioni salienti
Don't wake me up, this is every jockey's dream.— Ethan Brown, jockey, post-race interview
He's going to be a superstar horse. He's something special.— Ethan Brown, on Point of Law
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