Point Of Law Wins The 2026 Melbourne Cup

Point Of Law Triumphs At Flemington

The 2026 Melbourne Cup, held on Tuesday, November 3, at the Flemington racecourse, concluded with a decisive victory for Point Of Law. Ridden by jockey Ethan Brown and trained by Ciaron Maher, the horse carried a weight of 53kg with a 2.0kg penalty. Starting at odds of $7, Point Of Law managed to secure the first-place position, finishing ahead of the field in the prestigious 3200-metre race.

Trainer Ciaron Maher enjoyed a remarkably successful day, securing the top three positions in the event. Zahrann, ridden by Ben Melham, finished second with a margin of 3.75 lengths, while Juja Kibo, ridden by Sam Clipperton, took third place, finishing 3.81 lengths behind the winner. This trifecta of top finishes highlighted the dominance of Maher’s preparation for the race.

Full Finishing Order And Performance

Following the top three, Sons And Lovers, ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, finished fourth. Royal Supremacy, another Maher-trained horse ridden by Ben Allen, came in fifth. The remaining positions were filled by Shockletz in sixth, James J Braddock in seventh, and So You Are in eighth. Hopewell Rock took ninth, followed by Middle Earth in tenth. The lower half of the field included Trustyourinstinct in eleventh, Knight’s Choice in twelfth, Soul Of Spain in thirteenth, and Zakouma in fourteenth.

Further down the rankings, Enfjaar finished fifteenth, Kizlyar sixteenth, and Mr Monaco seventeenth. Strictly Business placed eighteenth, Wine Dark Sea nineteenth, and Future History twentieth. The final three positions were occupied by Onesmoothoperator in twenty-first, Goodie Two Shoes in twenty-second, and Vauban, who finished twenty-third. Asterix was scratched from the event.

Jockey Perspectives On The Race

Following the event, several jockeys shared their insights into the race dynamics. Sam Clipperton, riding Juja Kibo, expressed immense pride in the horse’s effort, noting that for a brief moment he believed they had the race won before the winner surged ahead. Ben Melham, who guided Zahrann to second place, described the performance as terrific and noted that while Zahrann felt like the winner at the top of the straight, the victory by Point Of Law was freakish.

Other riders highlighted the challenging nature of the race pace. Zac Lloyd, riding Hopewell Rock, mentioned that the race was run ridiculously slow, except for the leader, which left his horse flat-footed when the field quickened. Similarly, Ray Dawson, riding Enfjaar, noted that the slow pace made it difficult for his horse to get into the race. James McDonald, aboard Trustyourinstinct, observed that the slow tempo made the race one-dimensional, making it difficult to find a way into the contest.

Some jockeys focused on the specific struggles of their horses. Jordan Childs, riding Vauban, suggested that the horse became tired late and that competing second-up over 3200 metres may not have been the ideal strategy. Damian Lane, riding Wine Dark Sea, pointed out that his horse was a bit keen and mentally immature for such a large occasion, though he remains a prospect for the future. Robbie Dolan, who rode Knight’s Choice, expressed pride in the horse for returning to the Melbourne Cup after a long period of illness and injury.

In the middle of the pack, Mark Zahra noted that Middle Earth was keen in parts and that while the horse traveled well in the straight, the winner was simply performing at a higher level. Dylan Browne McMonagle reported that Sons And Lovers ran great and finished strongly after being steadied halfway through the race. Ben Allen described Royal Supremacy as very tough and game in defeat, despite the leading position not being the original plan.