Without a Fight, ridden by Mark Zahra, has won the 163rd Melbourne Cup. It is the first horse to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in over 20 years. Zahra also rode Melbourne Cup’s winner last year, breaking another two-decade-old record. The six-year-old Irish gelding was trained by Australian Anthony Freedman.
Approving crowds turned up at Flemington Racecourse this week for the Melbourne Cup.
©Josh Chiodo/Unsplash
Without A Fight has become the first horse to complete the Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double since New Zealand horse Ethereal in 2001. The winning gelding started as the third favourite at $9.30. Though he held back initially, he drew clear in the closing stages of the 3200m race, beating Soulcombe by two and a half lengths. Sheraz was a further length behind in third place and Ashrun finished fourth. Last year’s winner Gold Trip came in seventeenth.
Zahra, who also rode Gold Trip to victory at the Melbourne Cup in 2022, became the first jockey to win back-to-back Melbourne Cups since Glen Boss in 2003 and 2004. He praised Without A Fight’s performance and thanked the Freedman team for their support.
“It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it. He’s such a tough horse, he just kept going. He was strong at the end, he was amazing”, Zahra said.
“I’m so grateful to Anthony and Sam and the whole team. They’ve done a fantastic job with him. He’s improved so much since he came here from Europe. He’s a star.”
Without A Fight, the six-year-old son of Sea The Stars, won this year’s Caulfield Cup on October 21, beating Ashrun by a neck. He also won the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield on October 9, and finished second in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes at the same track on September 18. He has now won eight of his 19 career starts, with four seconds and two thirds, and has earned more than $8 million in prize money.
Anthony Freedman, who trained his first Melbourne Cup winner, said he was thrilled with the result and credited Zahra for his brilliant ride. “It’s a dream come true, it’s what we all work for. He’s a very special horse, he’s got a lot of class and courage. He’s been a pleasure to train,” Freedman said. “Mark rode him perfectly, he had him in a good position and he didn’t panic when the pressure came on. He knew he had plenty of horse under him and he timed it right.”
Ridden by Hollie Doyle, Soulcombe was the runner-up for the second year in a row, having finished second to Gold Trip in 2022. The Chris Waller-trained gelding, who started at $3.40, tried to chase down Without A Fight in the straight but could not match his acceleration.
Sheraz was the surprise packet of the race. Ridden by James McDonald and finishing third at $19.90. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained mare, who won the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick on October 2, ran on strongly from midfield to claim a place. Ashrun, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, was fourth at $11.00.
The race was marred by the scratching of Cleveland, who was found to have a fever on Monday night and was withdrawn by trainer Joseph O’Brien. Alenquer, who was also under a cloud with a bone bruise, was passed fit to run by Racing Victoria stewards on Tuesday morning, but finished 14th. Popular favourite, Realm of Flowers, did not take a place.
The Melbourne Cup, which is known as the race that stops a nation, was watched by a crowd of around 85,000 people at Flemington, as well as millions of viewers around the world. The total prize money for the race was $8.41 million, with the winner receiving $4.9 million.
