By Marcus Armytage — Jamie Melham became the second woman ever to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup. She rode the 8-1 Half Yours to victory, beating her husband Ben.
Racing has progressed in the decade since Michelle Payne became the first female winneron the 100-1 Prince of Penzance in 2015. Her battle to retain the ride as a woman in the £2.2 million winner’s race was made into a film Ride like a girl (2019).
Melham, probably better known by her maiden name Kah, was one of three female riders in the race and Half Yours was one of the favorites to have won the Caulfield Cup in mid-October, a Group 1 worth £1.5 million to the winner.
She had a dream run in, squeezing through some tight gaps between the horses on the straight to crush JP McManus’ hopes of winning with the Joseph O’Brien-trained runner-up Goodie Two Shoes, who had hit the front two and briefly looked as if he would give his young trainer a third victory in the race.
“I’m just happy,” she said when interviewed for Australia’s Channel Nine shortly after arriving. “Oh my God. What just happened? This is what we do it for, why we get up at 4am every morning and work our butts off for the past 15 years.
“It’s hard and it’s not all glorious and perfect as everyone can see sometimes, but I’ve had a great year, I got married, but nothing compares to this feeling. My grandpa died last week and he was such a big supporter of me, he was up there opening the holes for me. They weren’t very big holes, but he opened them for me. And I have to thank mom and dad for putting up with all my problems – for the past 15 years. Normally what you want to happen doesn’t happen, but I just won the Melbourne Cup.”
Melham had a dream run in, squeezing through some tight gaps between the horses on the straight – William West
“I tried to copy your ride,” Melham said as he was congratulated by Payne, who was commentating for Channel Nine. “I was on the outside of Ben’s horse, the gap was about that big [holding her fingers apart] but the horse rode so well that it didn’t matter how big the gaps were. I wanted to drive as quietly as possible and on the 400 [two furlongs out] I couldn’t go any quieter, I had to let him go
this story first appeared in The Telegraph
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