Horse Racing

Half Yours wins Melbourne Cup as Melham completes rare double

November 4, 2025 5:00 pm

Jockey Jamie Melham rides Half Yours back to the enclosure following victory in the 2025 Melbourne Cup for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. [Photo Credit: AAP Image/James Ross]

Jamie Melham has become the first female jockey to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, guiding Half Yours to a stunning victory at Flemington.

The five-year-old gelding, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, started at $9 and finished 2.75 lengths ahead of Goodie Two Shoes ($41), with Middle Earth ($26) third. French favourite Presage Nocturne ($5.50) could manage only 19th.

Half Yours, the only Australian-bred horse in the 24-runner field, is the 13th horse in history to achieve the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.

Melham paid tribute to her trainers and late grandfather, while Michelle Payne, who made history in 2015, was moved to tears during the pre-race ceremony.

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Rain threatened, but the Cup was run on a soft 5 track.

Earlier, Mark Zahra continued his Carnival dominance with wins on Party Crasher ($4.80) and Different Gravy ($4.80), bringing his tally to six wins and three places from 10 rides.

James McDonald pledged his Cup Day prizemoney to Tom Prebble, now wheelchair-bound after a fall in September.