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2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival Day 4: James McDonald wraps up program with back-to-back wins + Stakes Day triumph for Chris Waller’s Via Sistina at Flemington Racecourse

by Sports Benches

So there you have it, the 2021 Melbourne Cup winning jockey for Verry Elleegant, James McDonald has been simply too good to pull off towards the winning post for Chris Waller’s Via Sistina as your 2024 Stakes Day winner at Flemington.

Yes, it was a close one when approaching the home front with 11 horses vying for that top spot before you just couldn’t see this coming where Via Sistina just wrapped up this race right on this spot ahead of everyone with 200m to go. 

Don’t forget he just managed to wrap up on a high during that next & final race of the Stakes Day & Melbourne Cup Carnival program thanks to his close win for Pisanello over Trapeze Warrior under James Cummings when there were some pre-gate drama with 1-2 other horses had to be scratched out before race start.

Not only it was a outstanding day for McDonald with a career best 11 wins now in this Melbourne Cup Carnival, but also a phenomenal Saturday afternoon for trainer Chris Waller, who saw another of his trained horses finish 2nd in today’s headline Stakes Day race, with Japan’s Atishu by jockey Jye McNeil.

Then you’ve got last year’s Melbourne Cup winning horse Without a Fight in 3rd by jockey Mark Zahra as well as the Freedman brothers duo of both Anthony and Sam (co-trainers), and finally you got Ciaron Maher’s Future History after Dylan Browne McMongale steered home in 4th.

So at the conclusion of Stakes Day Saturday, that’s all we’ve had time for in this year’s week-long Melbourne Cup Carnival for 2024. We still got to see some amazing moments both on and off the racecourse including the glitz and glamour as well as a change of hands by Nine Network as their new broadcaster for the first time in history. Sure the Victorian Racing Club will continue to produce such an iconic event that everyone can enjoy every year as no doubt we will be back to witness yet another edition of Melbourne Cup racing that stops the nation in 2025.

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2024 Melbourne Cup: Knight’s Choice just held off Warp Speed for the ultimate prize via photo finish at Flemington with cheers of joy from Robbie Dolan & Symons Laxon Racing

by Sports Benches

This 2024 Melbourne Cup headline race was the moment we’ve been all waiting for at Flemington where it can be one winner on what has been a photo finish with Knight’s Choice who just edged out Warp Speed for the top prize in 1st. We congratulate the winning jockey Robbie Dolan from Ireland as well as the winning trainers’ Symons Laxon Racing from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. 

You just never know what could possibly happen, especially going into the final home stretch where there were like 1-2 front runners doing the best they can including some lead changes there to try nail down that ultimate prize.

But boy, it was still a brilliant finish to the race nonetheless thanks to Knight’s Choice’ late winning move on Jamie Kah’s Okita Soushi for Ciaron Maher, who eventually finished not far behind in 3rd, before he just held off the best he possibly can towards the winning post and now he’s so relieved to lift that Melbourne Cup trophy alongside Symons and Laxon.

So close there from Kah for Okita Sushi who thought she got the double there off the back of her Derby Day win from Saturday for Goldrush Guru. Although it was so difficult for her to hold off under pressure but she too had a rollercoaster last few days as she will now have to serve that 10 race or event suspension starting tomorrow. The same goes to Warp Speed from its Japanese contingent of jockey Noboru Takagi & his trainer Akira Sugawara, it would’ve been a wonderful moment for Japan to steal the show – but then they had to settle for 2nd when it comes to that photo finish footage.

And gotta say we saw the best of 3200 miles with 23 competing riders where 1 winner can only settle this as it’s been a brilliant day to look back on yet another year of Melbourne Cup day Tuesday. 

There’s still a lot more to come when it comes to the glitz and glamour beyond the race field with fashion, live music, food and entertainment. Plus, there’s two more days left on the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Oaks Day Thursday & Stakes Day Saturday. If you’re near the area around Melbourne, come join in for the fun; If not then there’s always on Nine & 9Now.

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2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival Saturday: A rollercoaster day for Jamie Kah from being caught for carless riding to a nose injury to now Derby Day winner at Flemington

by Sports Benches

It’s been a tremendous day to kick off the week-long Melbourne Cup Carnival that began with Derby Day Saturday at Flemington Racecourse & what a day it was from jockey Jamie Kah who pulled off well clear ahead of everyone to hit the winning front for Goldrush Guru. 

Great to see Scary making a late charge for 2nd despite being quite out of reach behind Kah’s Goldrush Guru while there was a close battle for 3rd with China Sea having just edged out KingofWallsStreet. 

You just couldn’t believe or underestimate what it would take for Jamie to keep on going, even though she faced a couple of challenges earlier in the day – from being charged for careless riding to copping a bloody or broken nose at another race meet during the early afternoon. 

And yet, she is someone who just loves riding and racing with horses as Jamie went on to gift a couple more race wins here & there for her respective race trainers – one for Ciaron Maher’s Another Will in the Damien Oliver Race as that race win was for the late Colin McKenna who sadly passed away due to cancer a week ago and of course Goldrush Guru during the headline race for South Australia’s Andrew Gluyas. 

Now she just came out of the stewards room with a ten meeting suspension which was a huge blow when it comes to her daily/weekly race commitments. But the good news though is that she’s cleared to race for Cup day Tuesday as this would mean a lot to her & Maher if she can get this over the line in first place for their Okita Sushi race team.

Speaking of Melbourne Cup, we can’t wait to look forward for the race that stops the nation this Tuesday afternoon at around 3pm. Plus, there’s more than just racing at Flemington when you got Fashions on The Field and whole other stuff to do like music & drinking a sip of champagne around the racecourse.

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Mark Zahra finishes 1st in the Melbourne Cup again as he gifts Without A Fight a Caulfield-Melbourne Cup Double since Ethereal in 2001

by Sports Benches

How good was that to close out another year in the 163rd running of the 3200m Melbourne Cup race at Flemington Racecourse. There were a number of decent contenders right from the beginning for the majority before Without A Fight became the new winner with jockey Mark Zahra alongside trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman. That horse may have been running through the back of the field earlier on, but he too saved it for the best of last where he found his way onto the inside with 400 metres to go before Without A Fight was lightning fast by steering clear of everyone in a sprint towards the finish line by two lengths. What a moment from Without A Fight who became the first horse to win both the Caulfield Cup & Melbourne Cup during the same year since Ethereal from New Zealand in 2001. It’s the day Father-Son duo Anthony & Sam Freedman couldn’t be more proud of to see their horse take home that iconic crown, while Zahra has been amazing in Melbourne Cup win No.2 – having first won with Gold Trip last year under Ciaron Maher & David Eustace. There’s more to come later this week in the annual week-long Melbourne Cup carnival with Oaks day on Thursday & Stakes day Saturday.

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Gold Trip supercharged his way on the front straight with the 2022 Melbourne Cup win at Flemington Racecourse

by Sports Benches

How good was that finish right on the front straight for the 2022 Melbourne Cup trophy, as Gold Trip just took home the ultimate prize alongside at Flemington Racecourse.

The first half was quiet before gradually building up the hype when Smokin’ Romans fired off well ahead of the entire field through the opening stretch, before Serpentine took over top spot and stayed there for the majority between the first two corners and the backstretch.

By the time we entered the 2nd half distance, more and more new contenders entered the mix for the run towards the Melbourne Cup trophy going into the final stretch. Tralee Rose, Knights Order & Deauville Legend ended Serpentine’s time up top at Turns 3 & 4, while Smokin’ Romans briefly regained the lead in a bid to take home the $8 million AU prize. 

But at the end of the day, this year’s Cup race belongs to Gold Trip where he made the winning move past Deauville Legend with 250 metres to go and he has done it after Gold Trip crossed the finish line in 1st.

What a day for owners/trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, as well as jockey Mark Zahra for the Gold Trip organisation who hails from France; We saw 22 riders in the running earlier this afternoon for the race that stops the nation, with most of the field came from outside of Australia.

For now, we have two huge Melbourne Cup Carnival events on display at Flemington before the 163rd Melbourne Cup edition returns here in a year’s time: Oaks Day on Thursday and Stakes Day this Saturday.

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Horse Racing News, Rich Strike has written history as the outsider who just won this year’s 148th Kentucky Derby

by Sports Benches

We are so speechless after what just happened in this year’s 148th edition of the Kentucky Derby, and it’s an outsider from entry No.21 in Rich Strike with jockey Sonny Leon & owner Eric Reed.

He even mentioned during the post-race ceremony that it took him last minute to compete in this Triple Crown opener at Churchill Downs, because of Ethereal Road who was scratched from the running yesterday.

He was running at the back behind everyone earlier on before he waited patiently through the turns they go, and eventually struck his sweet spot on the homestretch where Rich Strike just shocked the entire race field, including race favourite Epicenter, who had to settle for the runner-up spot.

It’s also a great day for some punters out there where they will walk away with $254 because of Rich Strike’s shock victory, as per NSW TAB. The 2nd and 3rd placed horses in Epicenter and Zandon were even valued at around $2, having been placed within the first ten entries up front.

What a story it has been from someone out of nowhere as a last-minute replacement to a breakthrough star that wrote history in the world of Triple Crown horse racing and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

The next Triple Crown race will head off to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, for the 147th Preakness Stakes running in two weeks time.

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