Australian-bred gelding Half Yours claimed the 165th Melbourne Cup at Flemington, giving jockey Jamie Melham a historic victory as only the second woman to win the race and the first female to achieve the rare Caulfield–Melbourne Cup double.
The six-year-old, the race favourite after winning the Caulfield Cup, led home Goodie Two Shoes, Middle Earth, and River Of Stars. Melham, formerly racing as Jamie Kah before marrying fellow jockey Ben Melham, described the win as the pinnacle of her 15-year career.
Earlier, New Zealand’s James McDonald celebrated his 50th career Cup Carnival win aboard Pallaton and pledged his prize money to support injured apprentice jockey Tom Prebble. This year’s Melbourne Cup carried a record prize pool of $11.44 million.
HALF YOURS WINS THE MELBOURNE CUP! 🇦🇺🏆 pic.twitter.com/dZtNSO9Z4x
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 4, 2025
