Here's how The Melbourne Cup became the destination for fairytale endings after 100-1 outsider Knight's Choice's magical victory at Flemington The Melbourne Cup's prestige and pageantry makes it a bucket list racing event There is so much more to this story than the sound of hooves on the race track By Dominic King Published: 04:15 EST, 5 November 2024 | Updated: 04:15 EST, 5 November 2024 e-mail View comments There is a reason why sleep patterns are broken in Europe and bedtime is delayed in South Asia every November for racing enthusiasts. But there is also a reason why websites are checked and social media feeds scrutinised, as the colour explodes and the drama unfolds. The first Tuesday of November means only one thing and that is the Melbourne Cup, a jewel in Australia’s sporting crown and an event that can proudly boast that it is world-class.
Its prestige and colossal prize fund makes it a race that many trainers want to target and every jockey wants to win. But there is so much more to this story than the sound of hooves rattling around Flemington for two miles. We saw that once again on Tuesday afternoon as outsider Knight's Choice and jockey Robbie Dolan wrote their names in racing history, clinching Melbourne Cup glory by a photo finish.
It was a sensational underdog tale, with the Sheila Laxon-trained horse being backed as a 90/1 shot before the race. The horse bolted home to surpass favourites Buckaroo, Onesmoothoperator and the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban in.