The 2025 Melbourne Cup attracted a typically international cast of contenders. From those making the trip Down Under, the market latched onto the claims of the sole French runner, Presage Nocturne. The Alessandro Botti-trained five-year-old caught the eye when second in the Caulfield Cup and worked his way to the head of the betting.
Joseph O’Brien’s Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa came next, with the son of Wootton Bassett aiming to give his trainer a third win in the race. Stablemate Goodie Two Shoes joined him, carrying the famous green and gold of JP McManus, while Willie Mullins’s Absurde – seventh in 2023 and fifth in 2024 – completed a three-pronged Irish attack.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Meydaan looked marginally the best of the three British runners, having posted a solid trial in the Caulfield Cup. Furthur set out to provide a spectacular ending to another excellent season for Andrew Balding, while Brian Ellison’s Onesmoothoperator sought to improve on his 12th-place finish in 2024.
For much of the week, home hope Half Yours headed the market. Lightly raced for a five-year-old, he beat a few of these rivals when claiming the Caulfield Cup. Other Aussie runners to note include the ex-Joseph O’Brien duo of Valiant King and Buckaroo and former Willie Mullins star Vauban, who made his third start in the race.
Flatten The Curve (Germany), Chevalier Rose (Japan), and Parchment Party (USA) added to the international flavour in an excellent renewal of Australia’s greatest race.
Result
- 1st – Half Yours 8/1, Jockey: Jamie Melham, Trainer: Tony McEvoy & Calvin McEvoy
- 2nd – Goodie Two Shoes 40/1, Jockey: Wayne Lordan, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
- 3rd – Middle Earth 25/1, Jockey: Ethan Brown, Trainer: Ciaron Maher
- 4th – River Of Stars 18/1, Jockey: Beau Mertens, Trainer: Chris Waller
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £2,227,722.77
- 2nd – £549,504.95
- 3rd – £277,227.72
- 4th – £178,217.82
- 5th – £118,811.88
- 6th – 12th – £79,207.92
- 13th – 24th – £45,504.95
Tote and Forecast Payouts
- Tote Win – A$8.60
- Tote Places – 1st – A$2.90, 2nd – A$9.20, 3rd – A$8.30
- Exacta – A$345.40
- Trifecta – A$10,041.80
Recap
Arapaho broke best from stall 15 to move across and grab the early lead against the inside rail. Smokin’ Romans came next in the hands of Ben Melham, with Half Yours – ridden by Ben’s wife Jamie Melham – also gaining a prominent early position. River Of Stars, Torranzino, and Joseph O’Brien’s second string, Goodie Two Shoes, sat just off the pace. The fancied pair Valiant King and Presage Nocturne were held up, with Al Riffa further back after a slow start.
Heading into the back straight, Royal Supremacy made a move to pressurise Smokin’ Romans, who had set only a sedate early pace. Having kept wide early, Chaningoftheguard moved across to take third, followed by Arapaho, Goodie Two Shoes, and River Of Stars.
With the pace still no more than steady, Land Legend was the next to make an effort to inject a little pace into the race, sweeping to the front under Joao Moreira. With nobody going with him, Land Legend opened up a ten-length lead approaching the turn for home. Royal Supremacy led the chasing pack, with fancied contenders Presage Nocturne, Half Yours, and Al Riffa all over twenty lengths off the pace.
Land Legend still led into the straight but began to tire after his huge mid-race move. Royal Supremacy also faded, while River Of Stars kept going but lacked a change of pace. Goodie Two Shoes, meanwhile, moved supremely well under Wayne Lordan to ignite hopes of an Irish success. Towards the inside, Jamie Melham was rewarded for her patience as Half Yours burst through a gap towards the rail. Middle Earth looked the biggest threat from out of the pack as he began to charge down the outside.
Goodie Two Shoes carried the JP McManus silks to the front at the furlong pole but was immediately overhauled by Half Yours to his inside. A length clear approaching the final 100 yards, the five-year-old powered away to score by just under three lengths. Goodie Two Shoes stayed on to hold second with Middle Earth taking third. Favourite Presage Nocturne was never involved. Al Riffa had too much to do in the straight but finished well to take seventh.
It was a first Melbourne Cup triumph for the father-son training duo of Tony and Calvin McEvoy. Meanwhile, Jamie Melham made history as the first female jockey to complete the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double.
Runners
- 1. Al Riffa – SP: 7/1, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien, Jockey: Mark Zahra
- 2. Buckaroo – SP: 13/1, Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Craig Williams
- 3. Arapaho – SP: 30/1, Trainer: Bjorn Baker, Jockey: Rachel King
- 4. Vauban – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Jockey: Blake Shinn
- 5. Chevalier Rose – SP: 50/1, Trainer: Hisashi Shimizu, Jockey: Damian Lane
- 6. Presage Nocturne – SP: 9/2F, Trainer: Alessandro Botti, Jockey: Stephane Pasquier
- 7. Middle Earth – SP: 25/1, Trainer: Ciaron Maher, Jockey: Ethan Brown
- 8. Meydaan – SP: 25/1, Trainer: Simon & Ed Crisford, Jockey: James McDonald
- 9. Absurde – SP: 18/1, Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy
- 10. Flatten The Curve – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Henk Grewe, Jockey: Thore Hammer Hansen
- 11. Land Legend – SP: 60/1, Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Joao Moreira
- 12. Smokin’ Romans – SP: 60/1, Trainer: Ciaron Maher, Jockey: Ben Melham
- 13. Changingoftheguard – SP: 60/1, Trainer: Kris Lees, Jockey: Timothy Clark
- 14. Half Yours – SP: 8/1, Trainer: Tony McEvoy & Calvin McEvoy, Jockey: Jamie Melham
- 15. More Felons – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Tommy Berry
- 16. Onesmoothoperator – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Brian Ellison, Jockey: Harry Coffey
- 17. Furthur – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Andrew Balding, Jockey: Michael Dee
- 18. Parchment Party – SP: 60/1, Trainer: William Mott, Jockey: John R Velazquez
- 19. Athabascan – SP: 70/1, Trainer: John O’Shea & Tom Charlton, Jockey: Declan Bates
- 20. Goodie Two Shoes – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Joseph O’Brien, Jockey: Wayne Lordan
- 21. River Of Stars – SP: 18/1, Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Beau Mertens
- 22. Royal Supremacy – SP: 30/1, Trainer: Ciaron Maher, Jockey: Robbie Dolan
- 23. Torranzino – SP: 30/1, Trainer: Paul Preusker, Jockey: Celine Gaudray
- 24. Valiant King – SP: 8/1, Trainer: Chris Waller, Jockey: Jye McNeil
Non-Runners
All ran.