Half Yours Triumphs in Thrilling Melbourne Cup 2025; Melham Makes History and Safety Measures Hold Strong

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA— The “Race That Stops a Nation,” the $10 million Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), delivered on its promise of drama and spectacle today at Flemington, with the Australian-bred Half Yours claiming a stirring victory.

Ridden by star jockey Jamie Melham, the five-year-old mare delivered a perfectly timed run to cross the line first for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy. The win was not just a major triumph for the local stable but a significant moment in the race’s history, making Melham only the second female jockey to win the Cup, following Michelle Payne’s iconic win a decade prior.

🥇 Winners: The Top Finishers

In a tightly contested finish that saw the horses navigate the tough 3200-metre journey, the placings were:

Placing	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Country	Key Lead-up Form
1st	Half Yours	Jamie Melham	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Australia	Caulfield Cup Winner
2nd	Goodie Two Shoes	Wayne Lordan	Joseph O’Brien	Ireland	Consistent stayer
3rd	Middle Earth	Ethan Brown	Ciaron Maher	Australia	Strong outsider chance

Half Yours started the race as the favoured Australian runner and carried the hopes of local punters after securing a prime draw in Barrier 8 earlier in the week. Her victory marks a successful defence of the Cup by a local stable following last year’s winner, Knight’s Choice.

💔 Losers: The Disappointments

The biggest disappointment of the day belonged to the international contingent. Pre-race favourite, the Irish raider Al Riffa (59kg), ridden by two-time winner Mark Zahra, failed to live up to the hype, despite a huge $500,000 bet placed on him at the Call of the Card. While he carried the top weight, his performance fell short of expectations on the day.

Another major disappointment was French hope Presage Nocturne, who had garnered significant market support in the final hours but was unable to factor in the finish.

📰 The Major Changes and Pre-Race Drama

This year’s event was defined as much by what happened before the race as during it, largely due to Racing Victoria’s ongoing commitment to stricter mandatory pre-race veterinary screening—a set of measures introduced following a spate of fatalities earlier in the decade.

1. Full Field & Safety Success

The most notable change was the successful implementation of the stringent safety protocols, which resulted in a full field of 24 horses cleared to race—the first time this has occurred since 2019. This broke a worrying trend dating back six years of having at least one late scratching on race day due to veterinary concerns.

2. Pre-Race Scratches Stir Controversy

While the final 24 passed their checks, the pre-race process caused considerable drama:

• Sir Delius, installed as the early favourite after an impressive spring campaign, was ruled out of both the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup after compulsory CT scans indicated the horse was at a “heightened risk of injury.” The owners expressed devastation at the ruling.
• Other hopefuls, including Deakin, Grand Pierro, and Aidan O’Brien’s Scandanavia, were also barred from acceptance or scratched after failing mandatory scans or follow-up checks.

These veterinary decisions, while controversial, underscore the ongoing commitment to making the $10 million race safer for its elite participants, an effort that appears to be succeeding in preventing major incidents on the day.

3. Jockey History: A Married Couple Compete

In a unique historical twist, the 2025 Cup marked the first time a married couple competed against each other in the event. Winner Jamie Melham (on Half Yours) raced against her husband, Ben Melham, who rode the veteran stayer Smokin’ Romans. Though they were fierce competitors on the track, the day ended with one of the most heartwarming celebrations in the mounting yard.

The 165th running of the Melbourne Cup was a day of high-stakes racing, historical jockey achievement, and a testament to the ongoing evolution of horse welfare and safety within Australia’s biggest race.