Melbourne Cup 2023 live updates and racing results: Without A Fight wins ahead of Soulcombe

The 2023 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Without a Fight claiming a historic victory in phenomenal scenes at Flemington.

The race that stops the nation delivered in emphatic scenes as jockey Mark Zahra guided Without A Fight to victory.

As the famous race came down the Flemington straight, Without A Fight skipped clear of the field and Zahra saluted as he went past the post, claiming his second straight Cup victory.

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The big day began with international star jockey Zac Purton taking out the Darley Maribyrnong Plate. You can get a full list of results here.

5.20pm — What a finish to a great day

It’s always hard to follow the main event of the Melbourne Cup but the races go on after the $8.4m race.

Billy Egan won the Howden Desirable Stakes on Roll On High by three-quarters of a length ahead of Joliestar with Kimochi two lengths back in third, while Opie Bosson rode Skew Wiff to victory ahead of Foxy Cleopatra and Forbidden City.

You could have thrown a blanket over the top three, with 0.3 lengths between first and third.

Incredibly, no jockey and no trainer had won two races for the day.

While John Allen finished the day win a huge upset as $40 outsider Pascero pulled off the win to make it 10 different jockey winners, it was trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s second win of the day after taking out the Melbourne Cup Day Plate in the second race of the day through Forgot You.

Bermadez was second and Chorlton Lane third in the Paramount+ Trophy to wrap up the day.

3.15pm – Without A Fight wins the Cup

Without A Fight has won a scintillating 2023 Melbourne Cup.

The field was spread right out going down the back straight before bunching right up coming around the final bend.

As they started the run for home it was Without A Fight battling with Absurde before pulling away with 200m to go and claiming the win ahead of Soulcombe and Sheraz.

Without A Fight has become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to claim the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double.

Jockey Mark Zahra elected to hop off last year’s winner Gold Trip in order to ride Without A Fight and now becomes the first jockey since 1978/79 to win back to back Melbourne Cups on two different horses.

The win nets the owners of Without A Fight a cool $4.4 million payday. Check out the full field finishing order here.

Zahra and Without A Fight salute. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Zahra explained to Channel 10 exactly how he pulled off the phenomenal Cup victory.

“In front of him (Without A Fight) was Gold Trip and Vauban. I thought I’d stay here,” Zahra said.

“They all made their moves and it opened up for me. I was on a horse you can sit on.

“He’s got an electric turn of foot and he pulled me all the way to the line.”

The win adds to the vast trophy cabinet for the Freedman family with trainer Sam heaping praising on his famous father, Lee.

“It’s been a great race for the family,” trainer Sam Freedman, son of Anthony, said.

“It’s been a while between drinks but it’s good to get another one. Credit to the old man, he’s been incredible through all of this.

“His wisdom and experience in nursing a horse through like this and went up to Queensland and looked after him up there and got him right into form and he brought it back to Victoria and he’s been brilliant ever since. Credit to him.”

3.08pm – First time past the post

Serpentine got the jump and took the field past the post for the first time ahead of Future History and Magical Lagoon. Soulcombe missed the start by three lengths.

3pm – Here we go

The horses are getting put into the barriers with the 2023 Melbourne Cup set and ready to go.

2.45pm – Cup favourite drifts late

Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban has drifted in the betting markets just ahead of the race being run.

After dropping to as low as close to $3, he is now sitting at closer to the $6 range on most markets.

2.40pm – Entertainment done, race draws closer

Delta Goodrem and Jon Stevens belted out some old school hits, Natalie Imbruglia took the national anthem honours and now the attention turns to the real entertainment.

The jockeys are ready to mount up and the horses are ready to head on out onto the track, the 2023 Melbourne Cup is now just around the corner.

2pm – Roughie takes the last before the Cup

It has been a tough day at the track if you’re a favourite. Through the opening six races at Flemington, only one favourite has claimed victory.

In the final race before the Melbourne Cup the biggest outsider of the day saluted first past the post with The Maggstar ($27) getting it done over favourite Glint of Silver.

The results don’t paint a good picture for Cup favourite Vauban.

1.30pm – Fans fume over broadcast coverage

Punters aren’t happy with host broadcaster Channel 10 and have let the rage come roaring out on social media.

During the fourth race of the day the decision was made to swap to jockey cam as the horses came close to the finish pole, a move that angered those watching on.

One wrote: “Channel 10 director definitely not a racing person … jockey cam at the 2 furlong pole? Lunacy.”

Another added: “At a function at the pub. Channel 10 coverage. My God how pathetic. 200m out and they switch to jockey cam! FFS.”

A third wrote: “I challenge you to find something worse than Channel 10’s Cup coverage. Absolute garbage.”

Fans took particular issue with host Eddie McGuire with one writing: “10Play found a way to make their Cup broadcast unwatchable. Two words: Eddie McGuire.”

Channel 10 is the worst coverage of melb cup day ! Seriously why are we at ads 2 minutes before the jump, absolute numptie areas…. #melbcup

— Caelan Langan (@CaelanLangan) November 7, 2023

In good news for punters, the 2023 Melbourne Cup could well be the last shown on Channel 10 with the TV rights deal ending this year.

12.55pm – Protest storm erupts at Melbourne Cup

Pro-Palestine Protesters have descended on Flemington Racecourse, reportedly blocking racegoers at an entrance to the Melbourne Cup.

Read more here.

12.45pm – Dream Cup Day ride for retiring star

Name a more iconic duo than Damien Oliver and Melbourne Cup day.

The legendary jockey, who is set to hang up the whip, claimed his first win of the day aboard Wiggum to win the Schweppervescence Plate.

It becomes his 21st victory on Melbourne Cup day. No jockey has ridden more winners across Melbourne Cup weekend than Oliver with 87.

Oliver streaks clear in race 4. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

12.40pm – Wind picking up at Flemington

The hot conditions have been hit by strong winds which could cause some issues coming around the final bend and onto the famous Flemington straight.

Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne believes if the strong winds continue to pick up it could drastically change how jockeys approach races.

12.05pm – Another race, another non-Cup jockey gets it done

Three races down at Flemington with the last two being ridden by jockeys without a ride in the big race.

Blake Shinn saluted in race two while it was Damian Lane on Warmonger in the TAB Trophy.

11.25am – ‘Quite rain affected’

Jockey Blake Shinn stormed home to claim the Furphy Plate, but said the Flemington track is feeling the effects of some heavy soaking.

While the heavens haven’t opened in Melbourne, officials had the sprinklers on overnight with plenty of water dumped onto the track.

Shinn said the surface was definitely feeling it with the famous track “quite rain affected” in the early stages of the big day.

10.50am – Great start for international jockey

Zac Purton has made his presence felt early at Flemington by taking out the opening race of the day aboard outsider Dublin Down.

Purton sat in a perfect spot behind red-hot favourite Admitted as they made their way down the famous Flemington straight before clicking into gear and running away to take the win narrowly ahead of Blue Stratum.

Purton will sit on Absurde for the Melbourne Cup.

DUBLIN DOWN takes out the Darley Maribyrong Plate over 1000m to kick off the 10-race card on Lexus #MelbourneCup Day

📽 @10SportAUpic.twitter.com/kNOAAO2orr

— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 6, 2023

9.30am – Betting plunge rocks Melbourne Cup

There’s been early drama at the Melbourne Cup with a longshot runner suddenly being slashed with bookmakers.

Trainer Ciaron Maher’s Right You Are has been a massive firmer with Sportsbet to win the great race.

Ben Allen riding Right You Are. Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images.

The corporate bookmaker announced Right You Are was $81 this morning but has suddenly firmed into $31.

The seven-year-old gelding is one of just two Australian bred horses in the race.

The other big move has been on Military Mission, which has firmed from $61 into $18.

On TAB fixed odds, Irish raider Vauban shortened from $4.60 to $4.20 on Tuesday morning, making him a clear-cut favourite ahead of Without A Fight ($7.50) and defending champ Gold Trip ($8).

9am – Punters make mad dash as gates open

The most dramatic race on Melbourne Cup day is often the battle to get the best seats. It was on for young and old on Tuesday morning.

Racegoers arrive at Melbourne Cup. Picture: news.com.au

Punters arrive for 8:30 gates open to get the best spots. Picture: Jason Edwards.

7.45am – Huge shock with Damien Oliver fairytale alive

Champion jockey Damien Oliver’s dream of a final Melbourne Cup run is alive after Racing Victoria vets cleared his runner Alenquer to race on Tuesday morning.

The six year-old gelding pulled up sore after suffering a stone bruise while doing trackwork.

Racing Victoria assessed the horse during the compulsory checks on Monday and chose not to clear Alenquer to run — however, Oliver and the horse’s connections were given the good news on Tuesday morning – just hours out from the race.

Damien Oliver returns on Queen Of The Ball. Morgan Hancock/Racing Photos via Getty Images.

According to reports, the horse’s connections had all but conceded the horse would be scratched, but Oliver himself was confident when speaking on Monday afternoon.

“I just spoke to Mike Moroney the trainer an hour or two ago and he’s quietly confident the horse is going to get there,” he said.

7am – Big movement in Melbourne Cup betting

Vauban has been backed to win more than $3 million at the famous Melbourne Cup Call Of The Card at Crown Casino.

The bets included $320,000 split between $5 and $4.80, $230,000 at $4.80 and $200,000 at $5.

Two bets of $50,000 at $5 were taken on the Willie Mullins star, as well as bets of $25,000, $20,000 and $10,000.

He firmed into $4.80 across the board, racenet.com.au reports.

Absurde, the stablemate of favourite Vauban, has been backed to win $2 million, including $20,000 each-way at $12. Bartholomew also backed it to win $500,000.

7am – Why 22 horses have been wiped out

If you find trawling through a Melbourne Cup form guide more daunting than public speaking, don’t fret, we’ve got a simple way to help you choose which horse to back in the main event this afternoon — and it’ll be over in 60 seconds.

It’s even quicker this year because the field is down to 23 after CLEVELAND was a late scratching on Monday evening.

You can catch the full 60-second guide, but we’ll put you out of your misery and tell you right now, the one horse left standing is going to be French gelding ABSURDE.