Post-race jockey reports from the 2024 Melbourne Cup

This is what the jockeys had to say after the running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday.

Knight's Choice and Robbie Dolan return to scale after winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday. Photo: George Sal/Getty Images.

Queensland galloper Knight’s Choice caused a major boilover when winning the $8.56 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.

KNIGHT'S CHOICE, at odds of 99-1, ran up between horses to get the bob in the $8,560,000 Melbourne Cup (G1) at @FlemingtonVRC. The gelding was trained by J G Symons & S Laxon. @ZRKD was on board for the victory! Congrats to all the connections! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/QY8MhZXDr3

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) November 5, 2024

The victory was Knight’s Choice’s sixth from 23 starts and took his earnings to more than $5 million.

Knight’s Choice is a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice, he was ridden by Robbie Dolan and is trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon.

This is what the riders thought of their mount’s performance in the Melbourne Cup and Clinton Payne also assesses each ride.

1st – KNIGHT’S CHOICE (Robbie Dolan) Pinch me. I think I’m dreaming. It’s incredible. I just can’t believe it. I I don’t even know what to say. I can’t even put it into words. This is the biggest race in the world, and to win it is just incredible. I’ve never ridden this race before, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I feel like I’ve ridden it ten times because I’ve run the race over in my head before I got here. It panned out exactly as I thought it would. I thought I’d be a pair closer, but they went quick. I just rode him for luck because I know he’s got a good turn of foot. What a training performance. There wasn’t enough room for me to come outside. So I decided to cut the corner. I heard Kerrin (McEvoy) giving me a call along the inside. I initially would have went for the run that he went for. He was going a little bit better than me. Once my horse spotted the gap and he sort of changed leads, and he just sort of picked up on me. Once I pulled the stick through, he found another gear again. He’s only a small little horse, but he gives his all every start, and that’s half the battle with him, I think and he’s proved a lot of people wrong.

Payne says: Dolan allowed Knight’s Choice to settle worse than midfield, he was relaxed and travelling before the winning post. From the 500m, Dolan stayed to the inside and took the runs as they presented, Knight’s Choice did the rest.

Ride rating: 10

2nd – WARP SPEED (Akira Sugawara) The plan was to go a bit more forward, but obviously he couldn’t. Then we just changed to Plan B, which was what we always had in the mind. We watched many Melbourne Cups of the past, and we could come from the back. We got him into real rhythm, good rhythm and went through the field, and it was a really good run.

Payne says: Made use of the inside draw, settling worse than midfield on the rail. Was going better than the winner entering the straight but was held up for five strides before getting clear and storming home. Should have won.

Ride rating: 7.5

3rd – OKITA SOUSHI (Jamie Kah) Fantastic run. Couldn’t have asked for anything more from the horse. Got me a bit excited at the 200 (metre mark). I thought he was going to hang on, but he’s just a genuine one-pace horse, but couldn’t ask for anything more of him.

Payne says: Broke best when the gates opened and Kah made a beeline for the rail, settling behind the leader. Travelled sweetly, eased off rail at 1400m, cruised up to his the front at the top of the straight, outstayed late.

Ride rating: 9

4th – ZARDOZI (Andrea Atzeni) She ran good. We got a good trip from that draw. She travelled strongly. She picked up nicely. She probably didn’t quite get the two miles.

Payne says: Put the mare straight to sleep on the rail, trailing Okita Soushi up near the speed. Followed the rail until presenting outside the tiring leader Just Fine at the 400m, looked the winner 100m out but ran out of gas.

Ride rating: 9

5th – ABSURDE (Kerrin McEvoy) He ran fantastic. He got in a nice rhythm. He relaxed well. I just sort of cut the corner and switched a couple of times up the running, but he was finishing really well the last bit.

Payne says: Allowed to find his feel early, settling back near the tail. Made his run to the inside of the winner, went past it entering the straight then held up for a stride behind a tiring Just Fine, eased around it and found the line.

Ride rating: 7.5

6th – CIRCLE OF FIRE (Mark Zahra) He ran well. Good, tough effort.

Payne says: Zahra was decisive and went forward early, landing outside the lead by the time they passed the post. When things got serious, he was flat-footed but kept finding the line.

Ride rating: 9

7th – FANCY MAN (Ron Stewart) Got a fantastic run from the awkward alley. Followed Jamie Kah (Okita Soushi) throughout. From the half-mile she got on her bike and that suited my horse who ran a really good race.

Payne says: Positive early from barrier 18, Stewart landed in a gun spot, three pairs back from the speed. Made his move and had a clear path, kept grinding home.

Ride rating: 9

8th – LAND LEGEND (Zac Purton) He was much more manageable than at Caulfield, but still wanting to go 10 per cent too fast the whole way. Really good effort.

Payne says: Strode forward early from barrier 17, raced on speed but the horse was his own worst enemy in the run, over racing for much of the trip. Nothing wrong with the ride and if the horse settled, who knows?

Ride rating: 8.5

9th – BUCKAROO (Joao Moreira) Didn’t have the best of the runs because he was actually too wide. It was hard to get in. He had to travel a little bit wide. He still had cover, but the distance probably just stretched him too much, and the last little bit, he started getting tired. So I’d say he couldn’t really run the distance.

Payne says: Went back and crossed behind most of the field early from barrier 20. Was three deep with cover. Moreira took off 900m out, circling the field, widest into straight, got to fourth and emptied 200m out.

Ride rating: 5.5

10th – KOVALICA (Damian Lane) He ran well. Unfortunately, just didn’t quite have the turn-of-foot to go. Between the 600 and the 400. I had to wait. After that he hit the line well. Just lacked a turn-of-foot with that speed but he ran honest.

Payne says: Masterful judgement early from Lane, grabbing a midfield spot one off the rail from barrier 16. Outsprinted at the top of the straight before grinding home. He had every chance.

Ride rating: 9

11th – VAUBAN (William Buick) I was a bit further back than ideal. He travelled well the first half of the race, and I had to hold my position. He came off the bridle far earlier than I expected from him.

Payne says: Beaten to the punch early by Damian Lane, who showed more urgency and took his position, leaving Buick to be cast out three wide the trip. Tried to go with Buckaroo at the top of the straight but only whacked away.

Ride rating: 6

12th – ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (Craig Williams) I was happy the way his prelim was, but once we placed him under pressure in the race today, he just wasn’t quite at his best. Interesting to see how he comes through the run.

Payne says: Got squeezed up leaving the gates, settled outside the winner in a three wide spot and was forced to cover ground for the rest of the journey. Suffered interference at the top of the straight between runners then found the line better than most.

Ride rating: 6.5

13th – VALIANT KING (Craig Newitt) I thought he ran really well, just got caught a little bit wide early. Got into a nice midfield position, travelled really well. I think if the track had a bit more give in it, he’d finish right in the money.

Payne says: Newitt was positive early from barrier 21, three wide as they left the straight, then found a spot one off. Looked to be going ok coming to the turn but when into clear running he didn’t have much to offer.

Ride rating: 8

14th – SEA KING (Hollie Doyle) He’s run alright. He probably overraced throughout, really. The distance probably tested his stamina.

Payne says: Doyle failed to make use of the inside draw, slowest away. Raced at the tail, then tried to go around them following Buckaroo into straight then widest down the running, plodding home past stragglers.

Ride rating: 6

15th – INTERPRETATION (Teo Nugent) A lovely first half of the race. He travelled really well for me and settled midfield. First week of the race was ideal, just at the business end of things, from the 400 on, he lacked a turn of foot.

Payne says: Positive early, landed in a good spot around midfield off the rail. Under a ride before the turn and the first rider to go for the whip with little response. Plodded to the line.

Ride rating: 8.5

16th – SHARP ‘N’ SMART (Michael Dee) Had a lovely run today, but just didn’t quicken when asked.

Payne says: Dee made his intentions known quickly, going forward and finding a spot ahead of midfield. Given every chance in the run but only battled in the straight.

Ride rating: 9

17th – TRUST IN YOU (Mark Du Plessis) Got a lovely spot and he relaxed really well. He was just probably a year away from really finishing off properly.

Payne says: Bounced quickly and Du Plessis was content to be on the inside, around midfield. Stayed toward the inside in the straight, given every chance but lacked the class to be in the finish.

Ride rating: 8.5

18th – MOSTLY CLOUDY (Karis Teetan) Had a perfect position from the start, but just the class, not clear.

Payne says: Went forward from the straight and found a spot in the first couple of pairs but was the first horse beaten, looking for the oxygen mask 800m from home.

Ride rating: 7

19th – MANZOICE (Declan Bates) Just didn’t stay. Travelled into the race really well got tired late.

Payne says: Given a sweet ride early, landing in the first half of the field on the rail. Tracked Zardozi into the straight but was quickly under pressure and didn’t stay but given every chance.

Ride rating: 8.5

20th – POSITIVITY (Winona Costin) Probably just come up a year too soon. Next year in the race, she’s going to be a lot better. Just wanting to overdo it a few times. Overall, I was happy, but next year she’ll be a big improver.

Payne says: Barrier 19 and Costin had the mare on the rail after 200m and by the time they got to the winning post she had a few runners behind her. Has improved her position coming to the turn and never went around a horse but had no horse left.

Ride rating: 9

21st – THE MAP (Rachel King) Tough run from the gate but she was as game as ever.

Payne says: Angled left to try to find a spot worse than midfield but King chose the busiest part of the race, with eight to 10 runners to her inside when she got there and she was left to lead the three wide train throughout. One of the first beaten.

Ride rating: 6

22nd – SAINT GEORGE (Tyler Schiller) He had the right run. He followed the winner (but) just didn’t see the trip out and probably couldn’t get comfortable either with a bit of a stop-start tempo.

Payne says: Settled back near the tail of the field, one off the rail. Was under pressure before the turn and only whacked away in the straight.

Ride rating: 7.5

Last – JUST FINE (Jye McNeil) He acquitted himself well today. Just struggled at the two miles.

Payne says: In typical Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott fashion, McNeil sent him to the front. Wasn’t overtaxed in the run but he didn’t offer much when challenged 400m out and from there weakened worse than any runner.

Ride rating: 7

Originally published as Post-race jockey reports from the 2024 Melbourne Cup