John MacMillan praises former apprentice Jamie Melham on record-breaking Melbourne Cup win
A South Australian horse trainer who gave Jamie Melham her start was bursting with pride as Morphettville was abuzz for Melbourne Cup day. See if you made our gallery.
As South Australian jockey Jamie Melham crossed the line to secure her first Melbourne Cup win on SA horse Half Yours, local horse trainer John MacMillan was bursting with emotion.
The Goolwa racehorse trainer employed Ms Melham as his apprentice when she was just 14-years-old.
“I’m happy for her,” MacMillan said at Morphettville racecourse on Tuesday afternoon.
“She’s achieved, well a lot of things in the past that were great (and) this is another one of them.”
The trainer, who manages horses Knight Dancer, I Love This Song, Dunali and Texan Windstorm, commended Ms Melham’s performance on the track.
“She gave it a pearl of a ride, it was a beautiful ride,” he said.
“She has a talent for getting horses to relax and then waking them up when they need to wake up.”
MacMillan shared that he had sent his former-apprentice a message of congratulation soon after her record breaking win.
“I just wrote ‘I got little girl feelings’ – she used to make fun of me when I was emotional that I was ‘having little girl feelings’,” MacMillan said.
“I’ll no doubt talk to her in the next few days.”
Local punters at Morphettville were also full of praise for Melham, with Vince Maio from Underdale admitting he was surprised to see a South Australian horse take out the win.
“I was thinking there was no chance an SA horse was going to win today and it has come through – it’s fantastic,” Mr Maio said.
“It’s a fantastic atmosphere and lots to see.”
Nathan and Briony Bryant had backed the South Australian horse and were ecstatic to see their bets pay off.
“We picked it because it was South Australian,” Mr Bryant said.
Ms Bryant said she hoped their winnings would cover at least one of their tickets to the Morphettville race day event.
“I’m excited,” she said.
Before the race that stopped the nation, punters flooded into Morphetville for a day of Spring Carnival action.
Despite the wet and cloudy conditions, racegoers brought sunshine with their eager attitudes and glamorous get ups.
Club Lago was the place to be with many soaking up the vibes with an Aperol spritz or espresso martini in hand.
The European-inspired activation – which is a new addition to Morphetville’s race day offerings – was the ultimate hangout for influencers and fashion forward attendees.
Local social media star Tilds Search was among those spotted enjoying the action with friend, Anastasia Terekhova.
The pair said their outfits, complete with race-ready millinery, were inspired by current trends, with Ms Terekhova opting for this season’s favourite pattern – the polka dot.
“This is my first race day ever,” Ms Search said.
“We’re looking forward to a few bottles of champagne and (will be) pretending it’s a Saturday, not a Tuesday.
“I like this Club (Lago), the weather not so much, but we’re going to have a good time.”
Owner of popular Adelaide dress hire company, Plus One Hire Dress Hire, Eli Moulton was enlisted to show off the best of the Cup Day fashion for Roving Fashions.
Ms Moulton was dressed to impress in a gown by South Australian designer Aston Studios.
“I’m a sucker for a pop of red,” Ms Moulton said.
“I must admit, I know absolutely nothing about the races but I love an excuse to be able to lean into a bit of a day to dress up.
“Any excuse to get me out of my pyjamas, I’m there.”
