Updated ,first published
The official finishing order for the 2026 Melbourne Cup, run over 3200 metres at Flemington. One Pool dividends below.
1ST: 20. Point Of Law. $7.80, $3.10
2ND: 15. Zahrann. $11.00
3RD: 11. Juja Kibo. $4.40
4th: 1. Sons And Lovers
5th: 7. Royal Supremacy
6th: 24. Shockletz
7th: 18. James J Braddock
8th: 16. So You Are
9th: 12. Hopewell Rock
10th 4. Middle Earth
11th: 2. Trustyourinstinct
12th: 3. Knight’s Choice
13th: 14. Soul Of Spain
14th: 23. Zakouma
15th: 6. Enfjaar
16th: 19. Kizlyar
17th: 22. Mr Monaco
18th: 21. Strictly Business
19th: 8. Wine Dark Sea
20th: 17. Future History
21st: 13. Onesmoothoperator
22nd: 10. Goodie Two Shoes
23rd: 5. Vauban
Scratched: 9. Asterix
Quinella: $141.00
Exacta: $239.60
Trifecta: $2644.50
First four: $50,275.10
WHAT THE JOCKEYS SAID:
Dylan Browne McMonagle (1. Sons And Lovers): “He ran great. Got a nice spot and we steadied up a bit halfway but came home well.”
James McDonald (2. Trustyourinstinct): “He was solid. In a very slowly run race, he is a little bit one-dimensional and we have to flow back. He was going to be there but we just couldn’t get into the race at all.”
Robbie Dolan (3. Knight’s Choice): “Very proud of him. Amazing little horse. Just getting him back here for the Melbourne Cup after a long time of injuries and sicknesses is amazing. He ran a cracker with five kilos [handicap] on some of those horses. Really proud of him.”
Mark Zahra (4. Middle Earth): “He was a bit keen in parts. He was travelling OK in the straight but the winner just going a lot better and took my runs. He whacked away alright in the end.”
Jordan Childs (5. Vauban): “He had a nice run in transit. Had to use him a little from the gate. He got into a rhythm and just got really tired late. Second-up [over] 3200 [metres] probably didn’t work.”
Ray Dawson (6. Enfjaar): “Happy early to the first bend. They went way too slow for us and we struggled to get into it.”
Ben Allen (7. Royal Supremacy): “[Leading like that] obviously wasn’t the plan. He’s very tough. I was surprised when I looked back how far off they were as I didn’t think we’d gone that sort of gallop but he was very tough. The way he ran it he ran a strong two-mile. Very game in defeat.”
Damian Lane (8. Wine Dark Sea): “I thought he was a little bit keen and wanted to lug out. Just can’t get it wrong in these races unfortunately. Little bit immature mentally for these big occasions. Nice horse for the future but just needs to iron out a few quirks.”
Wayne Lordan (10. Goodie Two Shoes): “Got a nice position. When they quickened in the straight he leveled out and stayed on.”
Sam Clipperton (11. Juja Kibo): “Couldn’t be more proud of his effort. He’s run out of his skin and for a fleeting moment there I thought ‘we had the race won’. The winner just let down really well. Really thankful to [trainer] Ciaron [Maher] and the owners. Pleasing result.”
Zac Lloyd (12. Hopewell Rock): “Bit of a non-event. They went ridiculously slow bar the leader and I was just a fraction on the bridle throughout. When they quickened they left him flatfooted but I thought he went well up the straight.”
Declan Bates (13. Onesmoothoperator): “We were obviously back. We never really ran into the race at all so a bit disappointing.”
Tommy Berry (14. Soul Of Spain): “Began well. Found a nice spot early but he was just a bit too honest in the run and he felt the pinch late. Very honest in defeat.”
Ben Melham (15. Zahrann): “Terrific. Had a good run. Felt like the winner at the top of the straight. Pretty freakish win by the winner.”
Rachel King (16. So You Are): “Super run. He put himself in a good spot. Very inexperienced horse at the moment and he has plenty more to come and plenty of improvement.”
Jamie Melham (17. Future History): “He tried hard. At the 600 (metre mark) I thought he was a sneaky hope. He just doesn’t run the trip out at this level but back to 2000/2500m is his go.”
Craig Williams (18. James J Braddock): “The barrier was a big disadvantage to him today. He is only a three-year-old, lightly raced. You could feel that from the half mile. I had the winner inside of me. Had the third-placed horse in front of me and the fifth-placed horse behind me so I felt like we were in the right spot.”
Beau Mertens (19. Kizlyar): “I thought he did a good job. We had to do the tow up work behind the tearaway leader but I was trying to build on him and I thought he stayed on strong racing wide.“
Ethan Brown (20. Point Of Law): ”Looking at the race I thought he has got the best turn of foot in the race by far. I got shuffled back a bit further than I would have liked but I was busy working with him and getting him to settle and I looked up and Royal Supremacy was about 20 in front and I thought ‘oh god’. So I had to just stay cool [and] stay patient.”
Dean Yendall (21. Strictly Business): “Couldn’t really switch her off. Probably needed a parking inspector out there to throw a few tickets out. Just went too steady. She never relaxed and the job was done probably at the 1000 (metre mark) when she was on the bridle and had the winner’s back but didn’t come on.”
Jabez Johnstone (22. Mr Monaco): “Wouldn’t be disappointed with that at all. He’s run a nice race.”
William Pike (23. Zakouma): “It was a good sound effort. They just didn’t go any gallop. It was a very steady run race.”
Harry Coffey (24. Shockletz): “She was super. Brave. It was a bit of a stop-start event for the first bit. It was a sprint home which probably didn’t suit her. But she was brave and did a good job.”
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