Melbourne Cup: Without A Fight wins Australia's biggest race

Jockey Mark Zahra celebrates after riding Without a Fight to victory

Without A Fight has won Australia’s famous Melbourne Cup horse race, giving jockey Mark Zahra back-to-back victories.

It is the first win, however, for Australian father-son training duo Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Second in the two-mile contest was Soulcombe and third was Sheraz, both trained by Australian Chris Waller.

Without A Fight is the first horse in over two decades to win the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup in the same year.

Zahra rode Gold Trip to victory at Flemington Racecourse last year, but switched horses for this year’s race.

Speaking after his win on Tuesday, Zahra said it had been a tough decision to swap runners but the “stars aligned” for him.

“A good friend and someone I rate as one of the best judges in Australia, I spoke to him, and he said there’s not much in it [between Gold Trip and Without A Fight], but if you can get him to settle he will run it,” he told local broadcaster Channel 10.

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

Gold Trip finished 17th on Tuesday, with other favourites like Vauban and former winner Vow and Declare finishing 14th and 9th respectively.

Trainer Sam Freedman was also full of praise for Without A Fight.

“This horse just genuinely loves his work,” he told local media.

Tens of thousands of people were trackside at Flemington for the event, graced by warm spring weather.

The Melbourne Cup is worth A$8m (Β£4.5m) and is often called “the race that stops a nation”.

But in recent years it has attracted demonstrations over the welfare of animals and its links to gambling.

source: bbc.com


πŸ• Top News in the Last Hour By Importance Score

# Title πŸ“Š i-Score
1 Who Will Care for Infants With H.I.V. Overseas? 🟒 82 / 100
2 Who Gets the New IRS Stimulus Checks? See If You’re Eligible πŸ”΄ 75 / 100
3 Why the Trump Alien Enemies Act win at SCOTUS makes America safe again πŸ”΄ 75 / 100
4 Most Americans don’t trust AI β€” or the people in charge of it πŸ”΄ 72 / 100
5 British family spend four days stuck in Kenyan wildlife surrounded by wild animals after vehicle gets stuck in mud when they 'diverted from main travel route' πŸ”΄ 70 / 100
6 Texas measles outbreak includes multiple cases at a day care in Lubbock πŸ”΄ 68 / 100
7 Stellantis faces pushback over CEO's pay package πŸ”΄ 62 / 100
8 Musk labels Trump trade adviser 'moron' over Tesla comments πŸ”΅ 55 / 100
9 Prince Harry argues he received 'inferior treatment' after 'feeling forced to step back as full-time working royal' in High Court showdown πŸ”΅ 45 / 100
10 New 3D scans of Titanic reveal doomed final hours: Incredible full-sized digital scan shows how the ship was dramatically ripped in two as it sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912 πŸ”΅ 45 / 100

View More Top News ➑️