Point of Law secured a commanding 3.75-length victory after surging past stablemate Royal Supremacy in the final straight. Jockey Ethan Brown celebrated his first career Melbourne Cup win aboard the pre-race favorite. The result cemented a milestone for trainer Ciaron Maher, whose stablemates Zahrann and Juja Kibo filled the minor placings. Maher had targeted the prestigious handicap by saddling seven of the 23 contenders in the field.
Key points
The victory marked the first time in 166 editions that one trainer swept the top three Me…: The victory marked the first time in 166 editions that one trainer swept the top three Melbourne Cup placings.
Point of Law entered the race as the favorite following a qualifying win in the Geelong C…: Point of Law entered the race as the favorite following a qualifying win in the Geelong Cup.
The win secured trainer Ciaron Maher his second career triumph in Australia's premier rac…: The win secured trainer Ciaron Maher his second career triumph in Australia's premier race.
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Racing rarely brings out stories this amusing. A young colt once owned by King Charles III was sold to Australian interests, placed in Ciaron Maher’s stable, and then produced the performance of his short career in the race Australia stops for. The horse named Point of Law won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3, 2026, in only his sixth career start, having never previously raced over the demanding 3,200 metre distance, according to AFP.
The victory carried an extra twist. Maher did not merely train the winner. His horses finished first, second and third, with Point of Law leading home stablemates Zahrann and Juja Kibo. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that this was the first time in the Melbourne Cup’s 166 editions that one trainer had filled the entire top three.
For Maher, it was a second Melbourne Cup triumph, but the scale of this result was entirely different. For Ethan Brown, the jockey who rode Point of Law, it was a first success in Australia’s most famous race. And for the horse’s former royal owners, it…
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