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Knight’s Choice springs Melbourne Cup surprise

3 minute read

Outsider Knight’s Choice has provided a fairytale result in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

KNIGHT'S CHOICE winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in Australia.
KNIGHT'S CHOICE winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

A spring campaign based out of Mount Macedon has provided Sheila Laxon a second victory in the Melbourne Cup with Knight's Choice winning Australia's great race at Flemington

Now training on the Sunshine Coast with partner John Symons, Laxon became the first female trainer to win the Melbourne Cup when Ethereal scored in 2001. 

Symons was instrumental in setting up Mount Macedon in the late 1990's and Laxon used the training facilities to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups double. 

A move to the Sunshine Coast seven years ago with a view to retirement was put on hold after a big-race win at the Magic Millions Carnival and the pair now has 23 horses in work and a Melbourne Cup trophy to add to the cabinet. 

Ridden by former Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, Knight's Choice ($91) defeated Japanese raider Warp Speed ($26) by a half-head with Okita Sushi ($19) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third. 

Symons said Knight's Choice's campaign in Victoria had been thwarted by wet tracks, and all the pair wanted to see was the stayer get the chance to show his best form. 

That improved performance came in the Bendigo Cup when Knight's Choice finished fifth behind Sea King, after a luckless run. 

"The lead-ups were all skew-whiff because he's a duffer in the wet," Symons said. 

"He went to Kilcoy in a maiden and got beaten on a wet track, and running him in those Group 1 races against the best horses in the country on wet tracks, well, he was going to run like he did. 

"However, if we didn't run, we wouldn't get a run in the Melbourne Cup, so we had to go around. 

"We had to chance our hand that we were going to get into the Cup because we were a fair way down to start with." 

Symons pointed to the success he had at Macedon Lodge before leviathan owner Lloyd Williams purchased the property from where Efficient, Green Moon and Almandin were all prepared to win the Cup. 

In the early days of the property, Symons trained a Blue Diamond winner, a Thousand Guineas winner while Laxon produced her Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double. 

"Sheila asked if we could be at Macedon Lodge (for the campaign)," Symons said. 

"We've got to thank Mark Player and, I haven't met the owner, Bruce Dixon for letting us stay there. 

"Everyone knows the success going back 20-odd years that we had from there, Blue Diamonds, Thousand Guineas, Caulfield, Melbourne Cups. 

"We just love the place and we know how to use it." 

Dolan said winning the Melbourne Cup was an incredible feeling, one that he can't put into words. 

"Well, pinch me. I think I'm dreaming," Dolan said. 

"It's incredible. I just can't believe it. 

"This is the biggest race in the world, and to win it is just incredible. 

"I've got my family here, my partner, Christine, our little baby, Masie. My dad flew over from Ireland, and now you got me in tears." 

The race did not turn out how Dolan expected it as the pace was quite quick early and he was forced to ride Knight's Choice further back than anticipated. 

So, he rode the stayer for luck, knowing the gelding has a brilliant turn of speed. 

"There wasn't enough room for me to come outside, so I decided to cut the corner. 

"I heard Kerrin (McEvoy) giving me a call along the inside. I initially would have gone for the run that he went for. 

"Once my horse spotted the gap and he changed leads, he just picked up on me and once I pulled the stick through, he found another gear again. 

"He's only a small little horse, but he gives his all every start, and that's half the battle with him, and he's proved a lot of people wrong." 


Racing and Sports

Flemington

Tuesday, 05th November 2024

7
15:00
(local)

Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 49.0kg Type: OPEN
AUD $8,560,000
3200m TURF GOOD
7
15:00
(local)
AUD $8,560,000
3200m GOOD

Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 49.0kg Type: OPEN
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 11. KNIGHT'S CHOICE (AUS) 5yo G
EXTREME CHOICE (AUS) - MIDNIGHT PEARL (AUS)
ROBBIE DOLAN
J G SYMONS & S LAXON
$81
51.5kg
C A Bain, Mrs K J Waldron & R A Waldron

Sales Information

2nd 4. WARP SPEED (JPN) 5yo H
DREFONG (USA) - DEEP LOVE (JPN)
AKIRA SUGAWARA
N TAKAGI
$26
54.5kg
H Yamada
3rd 12. OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) 6yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - AMICUS (AUS)
JAMIE KAH
CIARON MAHER
$19
51kg
Mrs A M Saini

Sales Information

4th 14. ZARDOZI (AUS) 4yo M
KINGMAN (GB) - CHANDERI (GB)
ANDREA ATZENI
JAMES CUMMINGS
$14
51kg
5th 9. ABSURDE (FR) 6yo G
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - INCROYABLE (USA)
KERRIN MCEVOY
WILLIE MULLINS
$10
52.5kg

Sales Information

6th 3. CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) 4yo H
ALMANZOR (FR) - FIERY SUNSET (GB)
MARK ZAHRA
CIARON MAHER
$21
54.5kg
7th 17. FANCY MAN (IRE) 6yo G
PRIDE OF DUBAI (AUS) - FANCY (IRE)
RON STEWART
ANNABEL NEASHAM & ROB ARCHIBALD
$81
50kg

Sales Information

8th 8. LAND LEGEND (FR) 4yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - LANDIKUSIC (IRE)
ZAC PURTON
CHRIS WALLER
$15
53kg

Sales Information

9th 2. BUCKAROO (GB) 5yo G
FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - ROHERYN (IRE)
JOAO MOREIRA
CHRIS WALLER
$6
54.5kg
10th 5. KOVALICA (NZ) 5yo G
OCEAN PARK (NZ) - VITESSE (NZ)
DAMIAN LANE
CHRIS WALLER
$26
53.5kg

Sales Information

11th 1. VAUBAN (FR) 6yo G
GALIWAY (GB) - WALDFEST (GB)
WILLIAM BUICK
WILLIE MULLINS
$8
55.5kg
12th 13. ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA) 6yo G
DIALED IN (USA) - SUENO D'ORO (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
BRIAN ELLISON
$7
51kg

Sales Information

13th 16. VALIANT KING (GB) 4yo G
ROARING LION (USA) - ASSEMBLY (USA)
CRAIG NEWITT
CHRIS WALLER
$81
50.5kg

Sales Information

14th 15. SEA KING (GB) 5yo G
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - PAMONA (IRE)
HOLLIE DOYLE
HARRY EUSTACE
$12
50.5kg

Sales Information

15th 18. INTERPRETATION (IRE) 6yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - DALDIYNA (FR)
TEODORE NUGENT
CIARON MAHER
$21
50kg

Sales Information

16th 6. SHARP 'N' SMART (NZ) 5yo G
REDWOOD (GB) - QUEEN MARGARET (NZ)
MICHAEL DEE
GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON
$51
53.5kg

Sales Information

17th 24. TRUST IN YOU (NZ) 6yo G
SWEYNESSE (AUS) - SHINKO BAY (NZ)
MARK DU PLESSIS
BRUCE WALLACE & GRANT COOKSLEY
$67
50kg

Sales Information

18th 20. MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) 5yo G
HARZAND (IRE) - CLARINDA (FR)
KARIS TEETAN
TRENT BUSUTTIN & NATALIE YOUNG
$81
50kg

Sales Information

19th 19. MANZOICE (AUS) 5yo G
ALMANZOR (FR) - CHOICE (NZ)
DECLAN BATES
CHRIS WALLER
$101
50kg

Sales Information

20th 21. POSITIVITY (NZ) 4yo M
ALMANZOR (FR) - PUSSY O'REILLY (NZ)
WINONA COSTIN
ANDREW FORSMAN
$101
50kg

Sales Information

21st 23. THE MAP (AUS) 6yo M
ALPINE EAGLE (AUS) - THIS MOMENT (AUS)
RACHEL KING
DAN CLARKEN & OOPY MACGILLIVRAY
$67
50kg

Sales Information

22nd 22. SAINT GEORGE (GB) 4yo H
ROARING LION (USA) - LADY DRAGON (IRE)
TYLER SCHILLER
CIARON MAHER
$26
50kg

Sales Information

23rd 7. JUST FINE (IRE) 6yo G
SEA THE STARS (IRE) - BINT ALMATAR (USA)
JYE MCNEIL
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$26
53kg

Sales Information

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