Sunshine Coast emerges as unlikely breeding ground for Melbourne Cup glory

Forget the rolling hills of Newmarket or the famous training facilities at Flemington, the Sunshine Coast has emerged as a key player in the last two Melbourne Cups.

The Sunshine Coast is renowned for its surf, sun and beaches, now it can add another thing to the list.

Melbourne Cup winners.

The last two Melbourne Cup winners have been produced from there, with local trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon producing an all-Queensland affair at Flemington on Tuesday with Knight’s Choice. 

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It followed Victorians Anthony and Sam Freedman using the Sunshine Coast as a winter base for the last two years, and campaigned 2023 Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight from the track that year during the winter, where he produced an unbeaten Queensland campaign.

Symons and Laxon train out of a 28-box barn, and were set for two runners in the Melbourne Cup before Mission Of Love was controversially scratched last week.

Knight's Choice winning the Group 3 Winx Guineas on his home track at the Sunshine Coast in 2023. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

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It didn’t matter, as Laxon maintained her perfect record in the race, with two winners from two starters.

“We can’t believe it, we are so proud of them, it is a huge effort to do that from a small stable,” Sunshine Coast Turf Club chief executive John Miller said.

“They started off with only half a barn and managed to expand, it has been great to see.”

The Sunshine Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland have invested significant money into the track and stabling complex over the last two years in an attempt to attract world-class horses to the facility, with the move now paying dividends.

Sheila Laxon (left) and John Symons (right) train out of the Sunshine Coast. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Miller said it was a testament to the investment they had made, as they look to become a destination facility when it comes to training and racing.

“We were stoked after Without A Fight last year, but to have one of our own local horses go down there and do it is unbelievable,” he said.

“We have spoken a lot about wanting to be a track where trainers can have horses that not only are able to go to Brisbane and win consistently, but being able to go and win big races.

“John and Sheila have done that in a Melbourne Cup, so it is great for us to be able to lay claim to that.

“Now we need to make it three in a row next year.”

After spending several months there over the winter, Miller said the Freedmans have committed to returning with a team of horses in 2025 to race over the carnival and prepare for the spring.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast emerges as unlikely breeding ground for Melbourne Cup glory