Ride of his life: How the 2024 Melbourne Cup gave Robbie Dolan a day when he couldn’t lost
A family reunion, which started in the kitchen, escalated in the Melbourne Cup winner’s stall on Tuesday as Robbie Dolan and Knight’s Choice ‘proved everybody wrong’ at Flemington.
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Newly-minted Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan could not lose on Tuesday, regardless of the result at Flemington.
Partner Christine secretly arranged for Dolan’s father Bobby to travel from Ireland to watch his son ride in his first Melbourne Cup.
The Dolan family reunion, which started in the kitchen, escalated in the Flemington winner’s stall as Knight’s Choice “proved everybody wrong” in the Melbourne Cup.
“He surprised me, I didn’t know he was coming out,” Dolan said.
“I woke up Sunday morning and he was in my kitchen, I said to my partner, it is a good thing I didn’t come down naked, incredible surprise.
“It is just crazy that he was here, win lose or draw it was going to be an excellent day, to ride in the Melbourne Cup is every jockey’s dream and we’ve just won the Melbourne Cup.”
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Dolan felt like an old hand at Flemington on Tuesday, having done a power of homework.
“I watched every Melbourne Cup the last 40 years the other night,” Dolan said.
“I just thought my best chance is if I get him to stay the trip and hopefully he can rattle home and quicken up (with the) good sectionals that he can do on a good track.
“I’ve never ridden this race before, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I feel like I’ve ridden it 10 times because I’ve run the race over in my head before I got here.
“It panned out exactly as I thought it would.”
Dolan bided time at the back of the strung out field and rode instinctively when it mattered.
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“I always felt they were going a bit too quick, it was always going to suit one of us worse than midfield in my opinion,” Dolan said.
“Horses just don’t stay galloping that quick for two miles, but I was surrounded by the horses I wanted to follow … Vauban, Absurde was back to my inside.
“Initially I’m thinking if Vauban goes I might track on its back, but once it was trying to get out there was too many horses trying to do the same thing.
“Probably five jockeys trying to follow the same horse, so I elected to cut the corner and just be patient and it obviously paid off.”
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Dolan always felt he had the measure of Warp Speed until Japanese jockey Akira Sugawara asked the question after the line.
“I actually felt I had him all the way, it was only through the line he was a head in front of me or so and he said to me ‘did I win, or did I win’,” Dolan said.
“I was like don’t say that how embarrassing would that be, saluting a Melbourne Cup and getting beat, that’s all I was thinking if I got beat I’m going to be so embarrassed.”
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‘I’m as lost for words as Robbie was’
It can be cliche when sportsmen say they are lost for words, but Brisbane-based Irish jockey Martin Harley literally was as he watched his great mate Robbie Dolan win the Melbourne Cup in a blowout.
Like Dolan, Harley made the move to Australia and knows better than most what Dolan has been through in establishing himself Down Under.
Riding at Eagle Farm on Tuesday, Harley was in awe of Dolan and said he was a new pin-up jockey for fellow Irishmen looking to make their way to Australia.
“Jesus, I’m as lost for words as Robbie was,” Harley said moments after the Cup.
“He gave it an unbelievable ride.
“I’m just delighted for him, Christine and the little baby (Maisie).”
In an all-Queensland affair, Dolan’s partner Christine is a trackwork rider for leading Eagle Farm trainer Tony Gollan.
Harley is himself a globetrotting, Group 1-winning jockey but was proud to pass the torch to Dolan in his finest moment, saying he would pave the way for more of his countrymen who were looking to make the move.
For years, Dolan was known more for his work on The Voice rather than his feats on the track.
Harley said he hoped he could now combine his two great loves.
“I’m so proud of him, a fellow Irishman, I’m sure he will sing a few songs, I hope he doesn’t stop singing for a month,” Harley said.
“It’s pretty magical really, his dad was at Dermot Weld’s and flew over to surprise him for the Cup.
“I actually have goosebumps the more I think about it.
“Words can’t describe it really.”
Originally published as Ride of his life: How the 2024 Melbourne Cup gave Robbie Dolan a day when he couldn’t lost