A new name has been etched onto the 163-year honour roll of Australia’s greatest race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup, with Mark Zahra racing to victory aboard the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Without A Fight at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to the cheers of a bumper 84 492 racegoers, a 14.5% increase on 2022 attendance.
Without A Fight charges home under Mark Zahra (Pic – VRC)
Without A Fight became the 12th winner of Australia’s most prestigious double, joining the likes of Poseidon, Gurner’s Lane, Let’s Elope, Doriemus and Might And Power as a winner of both the Caulfield Cup and Lexus Melbourne Cup.
He was the first to complete the brace since Ethereal in 2001.
Sent out an A$9 chance by Victorian TAB punters, Without A Fight sprinted clear over the concluding stages to take the prize by two and a quarter lengths over Chris Waller-trained pair Soulcombe and Sheraz.
Zahra became the first jockey since Harry White in 1978 (Arwon) and 1979 (Hyperno) to win the Cup in consecutive years on different horses.
As for the Freedmans, the father and son training partnership added a sixth victory for the family, joining the five wins secured by Anthony’s brother Lee with Tawrrific (1989), Subzero (1992), Doriemus (1995) and Makybe Diva (2004, 2005).
It was the highlight on a spectacular day of racing that saw Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young capture training honours with a double to Forgot You in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) and Pascero in the Paramount+ Trophy (1400m), while Damien Oliver secured his 25th and final win on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day aboard the Travis Doudle-prepared Wiggum in The Schweppervescence Plate (1000m).
The Melbourne Cup jockey class of ‘23 (Pic – VRC)
Tony and Calvin McEvoy recorded a quinella in the Group 3 Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) with Dublin Down and Blue Stratum, before New Zealand Group 1 winner Skew Wiff produced a strong victory in the Group 3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m).
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s racing, the Ron Hutchinson Award – presented to the leading jockey over the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival – is led by James McDonald on 12 points, just ahead of Oliver and Jamie Kah on 11.
In the race for the trainer’s equivalent, the J B Cummings Award, Waller’s placings in the Lexus Melbourne Cup along with his victory in the Penfolds Victoria Derby on Saturday have elevated him to the top of the standings on 14 ahead of James Cummings on 10 and Busuttin and Young on nine.
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