Jamie Melham etched her name into Australian racing history by becoming only the second woman ever to win the Melbourne Cup, guiding Half Yours to a commanding victory in front of 80,000 fans at Flemington. The 29-year-old jockey produced a masterful ride on the wet track, finishing two lengths ahead of Goodie Two Shoes, with Middle Earth taking third place.
Half Yours, the only Australian-bred horse in the field, surged to the front with 200 metres to go and held on comfortably to claim the $4.5 million prize. The win also completed a remarkable Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, making Melham the first female jockey to achieve the feat.
Emotion poured from Melham as she celebrated the victory, describing it as the greatest moment of her career. “This is what we work for every day,” she said. “Fifteen years of early mornings, hard work, and sacrifice—it’s all worth it for a moment like this.”
Her triumph comes exactly a decade after Michelle Payne broke barriers by winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance. Payne, who interviewed Melham after the race, congratulated her successor warmly, saying, “Welcome to the club.” Payne praised Melham for inspiring a new generation of young women in racing, calling her a “revolutionary athlete” whose deep connection with her horses sets her apart.
The win capped an emotional few weeks for Melham, who recently mourned the loss of her grandfather. “He was my biggest supporter,” she said. “The last thing he saw was me winning the Caulfield Cup. I know he was watching over me today.”
Melham’s journey to the top has not been without setbacks. In 2023, she suffered a serious fall that left her in an induced coma, a moment her family recalled with tears and relief as they watched her cross the finish line. Her parents, both former Olympic speed skaters, expressed immense pride in her resilience and determination.
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy were full of praise for their champion horse, calling Half Yours an “amazing competitor” who “keeps raising the bar.” With this historic win, Jamie Melham has firmly cemented her place among Australia’s greatest jockeys, proving that perseverance and passion can overcome even the toughest challenges.
