King Charles' Former Horse Point Of Law Wins Melbourne Cup as Ciaron Maher Trains Historic First Trifecta

MELBOURNE, Australia — Point Of Law, a 3-year-old colt once owned by King Charles III, stormed home to win the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, leading a history-making trifecta for trainer Ciaron Maher at Flemington Racecourse.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, the $7 favourite ran down stablemate Royal Supremacy, which had led by as many as 20 lengths, to win the 166th running of Australia's most famous horse race in only his sixth career start.

Zahrann finished second and Juja Kibo third, both also trained by Maher, making him the first trainer to claim the trifecta in the history of the race, which carries about 10 million Australian dollars in prize money.

A remarkable finish

Royal Supremacy, another Maher runner, set a blistering pace and led for most of the 3,200-meter race, at one stage holding a lead estimated at 20 lengths.

But the leader tired in the straight, and Point Of Law, which had been racing in the middle of the pack, surged past to win.

Brown said he knew from about 300 meters out that his horse had a chance, despite being so far back. He told Nine that when he looked up and saw Royal Supremacy about 10 lengths clear, he feared he had left his run too late, but he had full confidence in the horse.

Once he saw Royal Supremacy tiring and felt Point Of Law accelerate, Brown said his confidence grew, describing the colt as having the best turn of foot in the race.

Brown, who won his first Melbourne Cup, described the victory as "every jockey's dream."

Maher's historic day

Maher saddled a record seven runners in the race, and his horses dominated the result.

Beyond the trifecta, Royal Supremacy held on to finish fifth, and Shockletz was sixth. Joseph O'Brien-trained Sons And Lovers was the best of the rest in fourth.

Maher told Nine that the race became a genuine test of stamina, which suited the winner. "Nothing is better than a true staying test," he said, adding that Point Of Law thrived in those conditions.

The trainer said he had not expected Royal Supremacy to lead by such a large margin. He added that the day had been a whirlwind and that he was proud of his team.

Maher said his parents were at Flemington to watch, calling it special to win the country's biggest race with them in attendance.

It was Maher's second Melbourne Cup win, following Gold Trip in 2022.

Royal connections

Point Of Law was bred and raced by King Charles before being purchased in August and sent to Maher's stable in Australia.

In England, the colt finished fourth at Royal Ascot over 2,846 meters and won the Bahrain Trophy over 2,615 meters at Newmarket.

He made his Australian debut by winning the Geelong Cup last month, a traditional lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup. Tuesday's victory was just his second race on Australian soil.

Point Of Law became one of the youngest horses to win the race. Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds are rare winners of the Melbourne Cup, which is usually dominated by older, more experienced stayers.

Long odds for runner-up

Zahrann, which started at odds of $26, finished second, while Juja Kibo, at $14, finished third.

Royal Supremacy, which finished 15th in last year's Melbourne Cup, had been rated the outsider of Maher's seven runners by punters.

Other runners included Middle Earth, also trained by Maher, which finished 10th, and Trustyourinstinct, ridden by star jockey James McDonald, which finished 11th.

Big crowd

The race drew the biggest crowd at Flemington in a decade, according to Nine.

The Melbourne Cup, held on the first Tuesday of November, is known as "the race that stops a nation." Victoria observes a public holiday for the event, and millions of Australians watch the race at work, at home and at parties across the country.

The race is a major social event, with fashion and celebrity sightings drawing as much attention as the racing.

Racing's biggest stage

The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's richest handicap races and attracts international horses from Europe, Japan and elsewhere.

In recent years, the race has faced scrutiny over horse welfare, with Racing Victoria introducing stricter veterinary checks, including CT scans, for runners.

What's next

Point Of Law's victory establishes the young colt as a rising star of Australian racing. Connections have not announced future plans for the horse.

For Maher, the historic result cements his status as one of the leading trainers in Australian racing.