Melbourne Cup triumph a life-changing moment for jockey Robbie Dolan

He sang one of his songs on The Voice, and Robbie Dolan celebrated his shock Melbourne Cup win with a hug from Irish singing star Ronan Keating.

Two Irish singers performed at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day – one went down in racing folklore.

That’s no slight on Ronan Keating, who gave his customary smooth performance in the mounting yard before the horses began the pre-race parade.

It’s saluting jockey Robbie Dolan.

Many Australians knew of Dolan for his singing prowess on the television program The Voice but now sports fans know him as “Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan”.

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Keating made a beeline for Dolan after the adopted Queenslander shocked the world with his win on the $81 chance Knight’s Order.

“He sang my song when he was on The Voice so I just had to go and see him,” Keating said.

Half an hour earlier, Keating was silently reciting a prayer, almost in a broom cupboard under a set of stairs at Flemington, while Dolan would have been in the jockeys’ room pondering how he was going to beat the favourites Vauban and Buckaroo.

Keating said he always prayed before performing, irrespective of the venue, conditions or crowd numbers in front of him.

“I do it every time. I lean on it,” the proud Catholic said.

Faith was an important part of the Melbourne Cup.

It was all that was remaining once the jockeys were legged aboard the 23 contenders for $8m in prizemoney.

Robbie Dolan gets a hug from Ronan Keating after winning the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Trainers had to have faith in their ability to get their horses to peak on the biggest day, owners had to have faith in the trainer getting it right over the months it takes to get a stayer to the Melbourne Cup.

The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban threw his head around continually while parading, giving his handler a tough time, requiring some assistance from assistant trainer David Casey.

Others broke out in sweats either on their necks or between their hindquarters in little warning signs the Melbourne Cup might be beyond them.

Jockeys could only have faith their mounts could hold their nerve and relax well enough to perform over the tough 3200m.

Dolan’s little girl Maisie gave her daddy a wave as Dolan rode past in the mounting yard, sitting a touch restlessly in her mum Christine Duffy’s arms.

Maisie had already proven herself a fighter after spending 110 days in intensive care after her premature birth in 2022.

Tuesday was Dolan’s turn to prove himself a worthy Melbourne Cup combatant on the longshot Knight’s Choice at his first ride in the race.

Knight’s Choice’s trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon, who won the 2001 Melbourne Cup with Ethereal, had faith in Dolan, not tying him down to riding instructions.

Robbie Dolan kisses the Melbourne Cup. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Symons and Laxon had already shown their belief in Knight’s Choice by convincing the gelding’s owners to knock back a rich offer from Hong Kong.

They also persevered when Knight’s Choice, the son of sprinter Extreme Choice, was well held in every lead-up run, including when finishing 16 lengths from the winner in the Caulfield Cup.

Dolan had to back himself, just like when he moved his family to Queensland last spring to focus 100 per cent on his riding, pushing the singing to the side.

And he did, allowing Knight’s Choice to relax well back in the field, saving him for a final charge in the straight.

Dolan steered the gelding through gaps in the last 400m, arriving to grab the Japanese galloper Warp Speed, another Caulfield Cup also-ran, near the line.

That was the moment the young family’s life changed forever.

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Michelle Payne knows the feeling after her life-altering win on Prince Of Penzance in 2015 spawned books and a movie.

Christine and little Maisie were lost in a throng of wellwishers and folk immediately looking for a selfie with Dolan.

Ms Duffy bravely fronted the Channel 9 cameras despite her shyness while Maisie had shown she’d already had enough of the adulation, snatching the microphone out of interviewer Tony Jones’ hand.

“I’m not quite ready for all this,” Christine said.

“This will be so different to The Voice experience.

“I’ve worked in racing and I’ve been very lucky to have looked after some good horses but this probably tops it all.”

Maisie might agree … after a nap.

Originally published as Melbourne Cup triumph a life-changing moment for jockey Robbie Dolan