Melbourne Cup 2024 as it happened: Knight’s Choice wins the race that stops the nation
In an era when the famous race has become the plaything of the big stables and leviathan owners, Knight’s Choice’s boilover win was a throwback to yesteryear.See all 7 stories.
Thanks so much for joining us today for a marathon of fashion and racing topped off by an unforgettable finish in the main race.
Robbie Dolan and the connections of Knight’s Choice will never forget this day. Plenty of those who watched on will as well.
A huge thanks to all our photographers, editors, producers and reporters who filled this blog throughout the day.
Please have a lovely evening and please keep checking our pages for more racing coverage tonight and in the days to come.
Bye for now.
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They put retirement plans on hold. Now they’ve won the Cup
By Andrew Wu
This year’s Melbourne Cup was a comeback story wrapped in a tale about the Aussie battler inside a lesson about perseverance.
In an era when Australia’s famous race has become the plaything of the big stables, leviathan owners and internationals, Knight’s Choice’s boilover victory was a throwback to yesteryear: when the homebred stayer could beat the bluebloods. This is the story the Melbourne Cup needed.
Sheila Laxon shows off the trophy.Credit: Eddie Jim
Sheila Laxon and John Symons are well-known figures inside racing but do not have the financial backing of the mega-millionaires or global breeding giants to match it with a Chris Waller, Ciaron Maheror James Cummings for Australia’s richest races.
The husband and wife training team have 23 horses in work. They are based on the Sunshine Coast, where they moved to supposedly retire seven years ago. Retirement is on hold.
Knight’s Choice’s story is the opposite of what the race has become. His price tag of $85,000 is a fraction of what the cashed-up owners spend on the European stayers they bring back to these shores.
His owners knocked back a $2.3 million offer for the horse after he won the Winx Guineas last year late in his three-year old season.
Their high-stakes gamble paid off in the form of a $4.4 million winner’s cheque.
Star jockey Jamie Kah admitted she dared to dream of a famous Melbourne Cup victory before her horse, Okita Soushi, was mowed down by rank outsider Knight’s Choice in a thrilling boilover at Flemington.
Knight’s Choice defeated Japanese-trained Warp Speed in a photo finish, with Kah’s ride finishing third.
Jamie Kah’s view from her helmet-cam, just before she was overtaken in the Cup.Credit: VRC/The Age
Kah, who won the VRC Derby on Saturday, hit the front with 200 metres to go. Vision from her helmet-cam showed a glimpse of the finishing post with nothing but grass ahead, before the two horses rushed past. “[I] couldn’t have asked for anything more from the horse,” she said afterwards.
“[He] got me a bit excited at the 200. I thought he was going to hang on but he’s just a genuine one-pace horse.”
Only 73,816 people attended the event in 2022, when it was back to full capacity after COVID-19.
VRC chief executive officer Kylie Rogers said the cup delivered another fairytale story.
“Melbourne once again turned on magical weather for the great race, and today’s big crowd built on the fantastic attendance we had for Penfolds Victoria Derby Day.”
The Melbourne Cup’s biggest attendance was in 2003 with almost 123,000 people.
Dirty dancing gone wrong
By Hannah Kennelly
The Melbourne Cup is sometimes known for its rowdy revelry, but today’s crowd was fairly tame.
Police officers hovered around the grounds and several first-aid responders checked on a few pundits as things started wrapping up earlier.
Punters kept the party going after the last race at Flemington.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Some racegoers seemed content lying on their picnic blankets, finishing off their homemade charcuterie boards and sparkling wine.
A chorus of whoops and cheers attracted the attention of photographers.
These racegoers failed to stick the landing.Credit: Chris Hopkins
A crowd circled as two women prepared to do the iconic Dirty Dancing lift.
One took a running leap as the other braced for impact. The move was remarkably unsuccessful, but the pair easily laughed it off.
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Marquee hopping in the Birdcage
A little while ago, we had Cara Waters in the Birdcage, watching guests flit between marquees, catching up with friends and networking.
Melbourne Fashion Festival chief executive Caroline Ralphsmith and husband Dion Werbeloff, chief executive of the Gandel Group, which owns Chadstone shopping centre, chatted to CBD on their way to Penfolds with plans to then visit the VRC’s marquee Lucky’s.
Caroline Ralphsmith and Dion Werbeloff at the Melbourne Cup.Credit: Cara Waters
Ralphsmith was recovering from the tragedy of her Derby Day dress which only arrived on Monday, two days after Derby Day.
“I ordered it about three weeks beforehand, plenty of time, but it did not arrive,” she said.
“It sat in Dubai, Singapore and then Melbourne Airport for a very long time.”
There was no such incident for Cup day, with Ralphsmith wearing a dress by Paskal, a Ukranian designer and headpiece by local milliner Stephanie Spencer.
Another couple marquee hopping were Victorian Chamber of Commerce head Paul Guerra and his wife Amelia Guerra.
The pair chatted to CBD in the Crown marquee and Guerra said, “we’ll do a few marquees and then head back to the members”.
Guerra said he had been having a “terrible race day” and had been losing on the punt.
“I’m having an outstanding day on the track, but I would like to back a winner,” he said.
Guerra was also keeping a close eye on the two electoral races, that for US president and lord mayor of Melbourne.
“They’re both going to be tight by the sound of it,” he said.
Guerra said he expected Nick Reece would win the lord mayoral election, “which is good”, but would reserve his judgement on the US election as it was too difficult to tell what was happening on the ground.
The VRC’s plan to inject youth into the Spring Racing seems to be working as hundreds of younger fans turn out for Empire of the Sun’s DJ set.
The duo — dressed in eccentric red and white costumes — drew a crowd and their bass-heavy electronic tunes have reverberated through the VRC’s live music precinct, The Park.
Punters enjoying the live music after the Melbourne Cup racing finished.Credit: Angus Delaney
On Derby Day, Anastacia delighted a big crowd of largely young race goers who gathered at the once the races had concluded.
She performed her own hits I’m Outta Love and Left Outside Alone as well as covers of Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child of Mine and the Foo Fighters’ Best Of You.
Ronan Keating and Ricki-Lee will take to the stage on Oaks Day and The Temper Trap and Mia Wray will play on Champions Stakes day.
