Melbourne Cup glory for Zahra, Without a Fight

Without a Fight beat heavy favourite Vauban on Tuesday to win the Aus$8 million (US$6 million) Melbourne Cup, with jockey Mark Zahra claiming back-to-back victories in a dominant ride.

The seven-year-old gelding stormed clear in the final 100m to hold off Soulcombe and outsider Sheraz in a thrilling finish to the gruelling 3,200-metre handicap at Flemington.

Without a Fight had firmed to third favourite just before the race.

The Irish-trained Vauban, priced as the favourite and with Ryan Moore – one of the world’s top jockeys – aboard, finished 14th in the so-called “race that stops a nation”.

Second favourite Gold Trip, the horse Zahra steered to victory last year, faded to 17th on a hot day.

“That’s unbelievable, he was just an absolute gem today,” said Zahra, who won the recent Group 1 Caulfield Cup on Without a Fight and opted to stay with him rather than move back to Gold Trip.

“I was following Alenquer… in front of him was Gold Trip and in front of him was Vauban. I just thought I’d stay here. They all made their moves and it opened up for me,” he added.

“I was on a horse that you could just sit on, he has an electric turn of foot and he just pulled me all the way to the line.”

Zahra is the ninth jockey to ride back-to-back Melbourne Cup winners and Without a Fight became the first horse to clinch the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001.

“An extraordinary ride. He got him onto the rail from a wide gate, relaxed, switched him off and pretty confident probably the (last) 800 metres the way he was travelling,” said co-trainer Sam Freedman, who hails from one of Australia’s most prominent racing families.

“He’s a freak,” he said of the horse. “He was excellent.” (AFP)