MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) 鈥� Jamie Melham rode Half Yours to victory in the 165th Melbourne Cup on Tuesday to become the first female jockey to win a historic Australian racing double.
A decade after Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, Melham became the first to complete the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winning double.
Melham’s late grandfather was among the people she dedicated her victory to, saying the last race he watched was her win in last month’s Caulfield Cup on Half Yours.
鈥淚 have to mention my grandpa. He died last week,” Melham said in a post-race interview with the Nine Network. “He was such a big supporter of mine. So he鈥檚 up there opening those gaps for me, because I needed a few gaps open.鈥�
Half Yours, a five-year-old gelding, finished strongly to win by 2 3/4 lengths from Irish mare Goodie Two Shoes in overcast conditions on a soft track at Flemington. Middle Earth placed third in the event referred to widely by Australians as the race that stops the nation.
鈥淚鈥檝e had an amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever compares to this feeling right now I鈥檓 feeling,” the 29-year-old Melham said.
Trained by the father-and-son duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Half Yours was the only Australian-bred starter in the 24-horse field.
Melham had to steer Half Yours through a series of gaps in the straight, including one past her husband Ben Melham, who placed 14th on Smokin’ Romans. They were the first married couple to compete against each other in Australia’s richest race.
鈥淭here was a tight gap and I said, 鈥楳ove over Ben, I鈥檓 coming through.’ The next gap was extremely tight and I had no say 鈥� my horse just took me through it,” Jamie Melham said. 鈥淭hen he had to produce the finish.鈥�
Payne, who rode long shot Prince Of Penzance to victory in the 2015 Melbourne Cup, embraced Melham after Tuesday’s race.
鈥淚鈥檝e got tears in my eyes,鈥� Payne told the Nine network. “It鈥檚 just the most incredible feeling and for Jamie, who deserves it, it just couldn鈥檛 be better.鈥�
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