Australian jockey Ethan Brown rode Point of Law to victory in the prestigious Melbourne Cup at Flemington, securing a major win in a race often referred to as "the race that stops a nation." The three-year-old thoroughbred, previously owned by King Charles before being sold earlier this year to a group of investors including former AFL player Chris Judd and his wife Bec, was considered an early favourite for the event.
During the race, Brown kept his mount patient as rival Royal Supremacy built an early lead of more than a dozen lengths. Bringing Point of Law forward from the middle of the pack, Brown guided the horse to the front on the home stretch to claim the A$10.2m ($7.04m; £5.3m) prize. Trained by Ciaron Maher—who fielded a record seven horses in the race—Point of Law also won the Geelong Cup last month.
The event drew tens of thousands of spectators to Flemington under sunny skies, featuring a pre-cup performance by UK pop star Robbie Williams. The race day also faced late drama when trainer Chris Waller was fined $50,000 after race stewards scratched the horse Asterix because a staff member mistakenly administered the anti-inflammatory medication penetrene on race morning. Outside the venue, demonstrators from the "Nup to the Cup" movement gathered to protest against the horse racing industry.
