‘Move over Ben’: Moment Jamie Melham pushes husband out of the way to win Melbourne Cup
Jockey Jamie Melham has revealed the brutal moment she had to shove her own husband out of the way to make Melbourne Cup history.
Jamie Melham threaded the eye of the needle in a masterful ride to win the Melbourne Cup, nudging her husband out of the way in a thrilling sequence to end the race.
Ten years after Michelle Payne’s triumph with Prince of Penzance, Melham (nee Kah) became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, steering Half Yours to victory in a stellar ride.
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As the field bunched down the Flemington straight, Melham had some work to do to squeeze her way to the front, but she hit two tiny gaps next to the rails to put Half Yours in position to win.
First, Melham got her elbows out and rode past her husband Ben, who was riding Smokin Romans, with Half Yours giving Smokin Romans a firm bump to move out of the way.
“There was a tight gap and I said, ‘Move over Ben I’m coming through’,” Melham told Channel 9.”
Half Yours still had some work to do, and Melham expertly manoeuvred the horse through a tiny gap between Land Legend and Royal Supremacy, before holding off Goodie Too Shoes and Middle Earth for the win.
“Then the next gap was extremely tight. I had no say, my horse just took me through. The team has got him the fittest I’ve ever seen this horse.”
“Ooh, that was tight,” replied racing expert Francesca Cumani watching the replay.
Melham paid tribute to her husband Ben after the couple made history by becoming the first married jockeys to ride in the Melbourne Cup together. Smokin Romans faded to finish 14th.
The 29-year-old said she even listened to his pre-race advice on leaving her run late. It was a superb ride by Melham, who stuck to the inner rail while other jockeys went wide and took the long way round looking for an opening.
“I wanted to get to the rails as close as I could,” she said.
“But we got in a nice enough spot and (husband) Ben told me, let that first wave go, that’s exactly what I did, I cut through, there was a gap this big next to him and I was going to yell at him.
“But my horse was just going too good anyway, he pulled me through the next gap, pulled me through the next gap where there was barely any room, but when a horse is going that well they just take you where you need to go.”
It was a day to remember for Melham, who became the first female jockey to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double as trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy celebrated Half Yours’ triumph.
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Pre-race, Melham joked the name of her horse Half Yours was apt, with Jamie and Ben sharing their prize money in their household. Jamie will take home $225,000 in prize money for her Melbourne Cup win.
The star jockey has ridden a wave of positivity and happiness this year with her husband Ben, going from matrimony to spring major winner.
“Ben loves the name,” Melham said of Half Yours.
“Now we’re married, half (prizemoney) goes to him and half goes to me.”
Caulfield Cup glory last month on Half Yours and now Melbourne Cup glory at Flemington, has challenged Melham’s life milestone order.
“Getting married, I said to Ben, was ‘the best day of my life’,” Melham said.
“Caulfield Cup was pretty close to it, best day on the track anyway, let’s go with that!”
Melham enjoyed a historic Caulfield Cup success, the 29-year-old became the first female jockey to win the 149th edition, but reality dawned the morning after.
“The best thing was Ben rolled over and said, ‘Honey, I’m so proud of you’,” Melham said.
“I’ve always wanted to make him proud and make my family proud.”
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