JAMIE Melham (née Kah) has joined Michelle Payne as a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, just the second woman to do so in the race’s 165 year history, as Half Yours became the 13th horse to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double.

Perfectly handled by the father and son training duo of Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Half Yours had only entered the McEvoy stable late last year having been purchased for A$305,000 at the 2024 Inglis Digital November Online Sale.

He was sold out of the Halo Racing reduction sale on behalf of the late Colin McKenna, who was instrumental in launching the career of Ciaron Maher, the trainer of Half Yours for his first four starts.

A benchmark 64 horse in March, Half Yours is a winner of six from 10 since and a dual Group 1 winner - the first for his sire, the Irish-bred St Jean.

“What a joy. This is our great race and it’s just so special to win it,” said Tony McEvoy after the $10 million handicap. “It’s an incredible moment. From the days we grew up, the Melbourne Cup was everything.

“It’s been a great race for the McEvoy family - Kerrin (nephew) has won it three times, my brother owned a horse that ran second in it and now for us to be able to win it, it’s just amazing.’’

Patience, patience

On soft going after steady rain the day before, Half Yours broke from gate eight at the 3,200-metre start and was settled one off the fence in the front third of the field. With the pace easing along the riverside, Joao Moreira could contain Land Legend no more, letting him roll forward to fire up the pace.

As runs began to be produced approaching the final turn, Melham stayed patient, remaining one off the fence as the first wave swept wide. Into the bend and a split appeared between Arapho and Smokin Romans, and then a second gap was taken between Royal Supremacy and Land Legend.

In the clear, Half Yours knuckled down as J.P. McManus’ Goodie Two Shoes threatened to steal the show, hitting the front at the 300-metre mark. Working his way to the Joseph O’Brien runner, Half Yours broke clear at the clocktower and it was a case of ‘put down your glasses’.

Winning by nearly three lengths, Half Yours completed the Cups double ahead of the Fastnet Rock mare Goodie Two Shoes and the Roaring Lion gelding Middle Earth, as the Irish-bred Caulfield Cup runner-up River Of Stars claimed fourth.

“Unbelievable. Wow, I don’t know what to say,” said Calvin McEvoy. “He’s come out of nowhere and he’s done the double. I saw at the 600-metre that he was still on the bridle and I thought ‘wow, he just needs to stay the trip’ and he did.

“It was an amazing ride from Jamie. This is what it’s all about. It’s unbelievable. What a horse, he’s just continued to raise the bar. It’s been amazing, it’s been such a big team effort.”

“WHAT just happened? Oh my God!” said Jamie Melham. “This is what we do it for. This is why we get up out of bed every morning at 4am, work our arses for the last 15 years I’ve been in this industry.

“It’s tough. It’s not all glorious and perfect as everyone can see sometimes. I’ve had an amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now that I’m feeling.”

Champion jockey in Melbourne in the 2020/’21 season, she had a race fall at Flemington in March 2023 which could have ended Jamie Melham’s career. It took her five months to get back into the saddle, just over two years later she has won a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup.

“We saw her coming up through the ranks and knew straight away she was special,” said Tony McEvoy. “We were training a lot of winners in Adelaide and this young girl kept knocking us off all the time. We got sick of her beating us, so we joined forces and have had enormous success together. So, to do this together, the Cups’ double, is incredible.”

“I said last week, he’s the perfect horse to ride in the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and he gave me just the perfect ride and pulled up like an old pony,” added Melham. “I gave him a big cuddle and he just loved it; he’s got the best attitude.

“This feeling you cannot describe; I dreamt about it, but nothing prepares you for this, insane, insane feeling. Thank you Calvin and Tony for putting me on this beautiful animal. It’s all the horse, what an absolute tough, legend of a horse.”

The following day at the traditional photo opportunity held at the winner’s yard, Melham was still coming to terms with the impact of a Cup win. “It still hasn’t sunk in, I don’t think,” she said. “I woke up at 2am and couldn’t sleep, so I watched the replay about 60 or 70 times. You dream about this - we all do, being jockeys, but to just say you’ve won the Melbourne Cup feels weird.”

“SHE ran a blinder,” said Joseph O’Brien of Goodie Two Shoes, who will take home $1.1 million as runner-up.

“I’m very proud of her and delighted for J.P. and his family. I think they got a huge thrill out of competing in a race like the Melbourne Cup and getting a good run like that as well.”

It was a similar sentiment echoed by Wayne Lordan: “Ran a wonderful race, got a nice position from my draw and she’s run a cracker. Just one better today but ran great.”

Joseph’s other starter Al Riffa ran seventh and Mark Zahra reported: “He was okay. I was four wide and had to find a spot to get in and there was too much to do with that weight.”

Pace

Breeders’ Cup Turf-winning trainer Willie Mullins had Kerrin McEvoy on Absurde, who was eighth, nine and a half lengths from the winner.

“He ran well,” McEvoy said. “The pace wasn’t that strong through the first part, had to give them a start. He picked up into it well, good honest run.”