A decade on from Michelle Payne making history at Flemington, Jamie Melham has become the first female to claim the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Double aboard Half Yours.
Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015 and was on hand to watch Melham surpass her feat, by claiming the rare double.
Roughie Land Legend surged to a big lead of about 10 lengths down the back straight, but Melham stayed calm before storming past.
Goodie Two Shoes was beaten to take second place followed by Middle Earth and River of Stars.
But it was the five-year-old gelding that found the gaps and stormed home to claim a memorable victory, with an emotional Melham capping off a huge year.
‘This is what we do it for,’ she said.
Jamie Melham has made history by winning the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year
An emotional Melham revealed her grandfather died a week before the big race and helped guide her to victory from beyond
‘This is why we get up out of every morning, 4am, work our a***s off … this industry, it’s tough. It’s not all glorious and perfect.
‘I’ve had an amazing year. Amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now I’m feeling.’
Melham dedicated the win to her grandfather, who watched her win the Caulfield Cup, but died before he could see her win the Melbourne Cup.
‘I have to mention my grandpa. He died last week. The last race was the Caulfield Cup,’ she said.
‘And he was such a big supporter of mine. So he’s up there opening those gaps for me because I needed a few gaps open then.
Melham’s mother Karen also believed there was divine intervention at play.
‘It a bit like a dream. She was sort of stuck halfway and I thought, she’s not going to get through whatsoever,’ she said.
‘Then all of a sudden it just opened up and the angels above just carried her over.’
Jamie Melham and Michelle Payne share an embrace after she won the Melbourne Cup
Payne is a close friend and mentor to Melham and was thrilled to see her create history at Flemington
Proud mother Karen also believed there was assistance from beyond from Melham’s late grandfather
Melham also thanked her husband Ben, who rode Smokin’ Romans, making them the first married couple to contest the Melbourne Cup together.
Melham also admitted she threw her husband a cheeky sledge as she stormed past him in the final jostle for positions.
‘I said move over Ben coming through. And then the next gap was extremely tight. I had no say. My horse just took me through it and it was tight,’ she said.
‘I just wanted to jump off that horse and not talk to anyone, just hug the horse. I wanted to give him a big hug. What a champion.’
Payne watched on with pride, after playing a mentor role for Melham in the lead up to the famous win.
‘I’ve got tears in my eyes, it’s the most incredible feeling and for Jamie who deserves it, it’s even better,’ she said on Nine.
‘All of the the effort that she puts in behind the scenes, I’ve obviously been able to witness that in the jockeys room time and time again.
‘The pressure that you deal with as a young person, she had so much pressure, you know, being very first female jockey to ride two winners in a season in Melbourne, she really had to cope with a lot.
‘And just to witness her here today take home the Melbourne Cup, it doesn’t get any better than that.’
Half Yours was also the only Australian-bred horse in the race, holding off a stellar field of overseas raiders.
Full order of finishing from first to last:
- 1. Half Yours
- 2. Goodie Two Shoes
- 3. Middle Earth
- 4. River of Stars
- 5. Torranzino
- 6. Vauban
- 7. Al Riffa
- 8. Absurde
- 9. Changingoftheguard
- 10. Meydaan
- 11. Furthur
- 12. Arapaho
- 13. Flatten The Curve
- 14. Smokin’ Romans
- 15. Royal Supremacy
- 16. Onesmoothoperator
- 17. Valiant King
- 18. More Felons
- 19. Presage Nocturne
- 20. Parchment Party
- 21. Athabascan
- 22. Land Legend
- 23. Chevalier Rose
- 24. Buckaroo