Point of Law Wins 2026 Melbourne Cup in Dramatic Finish

Point of Law produced a stunning performance to win the 2026 Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse, with jockey Ethan Brown guiding the favourite to victory in the prestigious $10 million race. The Ciaron Maher-trained runner chased down stablemate Royal Supremacy, who had built a lead of as much as 20 lengths, before surging home to claim the title.

Maher enjoyed a memorable afternoon, training the first three finishers. Zahrann crossed the line in second place, while Juja Kibo completed the trifecta in third. Sons and Lovers, trained by Joseph O’Brien, finished fourth.

The victory marked the second Melbourne Cup triumph for Maher, while Brown celebrated a remarkable personal comeback. The jockey had suffered a horrific fall two years earlier that nearly cost him his life. His return to the top of Australian racing reached its high point with one of the sport’s most celebrated victories.

Point of Law storms home as Ethan Brown fulfils his Melbourne Cup dream

Point of Law entered the Melbourne Cup as the favourite after attracting significant attention with a strong performance in the Geelong Cup. The horse, purchased by an Australian syndicate from King Charles, had climbed to the top of the betting market ahead of the Flemington feature.

Brown delivered a confident ride, guiding Point of Law through the closing stages as the horse made up ground on Royal Supremacy. The dramatic finish brought the crowd to its feet as the favourite completed the comeback and secured the Melbourne Cup.

Speaking after the race, Brown described Point of Law as an exceptional horse and suggested the winner had a bright future ahead.

“He’s going to be a superstar. Stunning horse this,” Brown said.

The jockey struggled to contain his excitement while speaking to Channel Nine, describing the result as a dream come true.

“Please don’t wake me up,” he said. “It’s every jockey’s dream to do this. And I can’t believe it. I was confident in the horse. Everyone’s I’ve spoken to said they’ve never gone in with that confidence.”

Brown credited Maher and the horse’s preparation for the performance, highlighting Point of Law’s finishing speed as a major factor in the victory.

“He’s in such good hands with Ciaron. He had the best turn of foot in the race. I thought he ran really well and he’s going to be a future star if he’s not already one today.”

For Brown, the win carried additional significance because of the serious injury he suffered in a fall two years earlier. His recovery and return to the sport made the Melbourne Cup triumph an especially emotional achievement.

Ciaron Maher trains the first three Melbourne Cup finishers

Maher enjoyed an outstanding result at Flemington, with three of his seven runners finishing in the top three. Point of Law secured first place, Zahrann finished second and Juja Kibo took third, giving the trainer a clean sweep of the podium.

Royal Supremacy also played a major role in the race after establishing a substantial early advantage. The horse led by as much as 20 lengths before Point of Law chased him down in the closing stages.

Maher praised the challenge of the Melbourne Cup, particularly the demands placed on horses over the staying distance.

“Nothing better than a true staying test,” Maher said.

The result represented Maher’s second success in the race that stops a nation. His stable’s strong showing also underlined the depth of his team, with three runners finishing ahead of the rest of the field.

Joseph O’Brien-trained Sons and Lovers finished fourth, just outside the top three. The result gave Maher the leading positions in a race that remains one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar.

Robbie Williams performs before the Melbourne Cup

The atmosphere at Flemington was building before the race, with pop star Robbie Williams delivering the pre-race entertainment. Addressing the large crowd, Williams encouraged spectators to “let me entertain you” before giving a typically uplifting performance.

Attention then returned to the main event as the horses made their way through the mounting yard. Twenty-three of the expected 24 runners paraded before the race, setting the stage for the afternoon’s major contest.

While the entertainment provided a memorable opening to the occasion, the focus quickly shifted to the competition on the track. Point of Law ultimately supplied the headline moment with a dramatic victory over stablemate Royal Supremacy.

Chris Waller fined $50,000 after Asterix is scratched

Earlier on Melbourne Cup Day, leading trainer Chris Waller was fined $50,000 after his contender Asterix was scratched from the race. The decision followed the discovery that the horse had received anti-inflammatory treatment on race day.

The treatment involved Penetrene, a product generally permitted for use on horses. However, racing regulations impose a blanket ban on race-day treatments, resulting in Asterix being withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup.

Waller explained that the product had been applied to the horse’s forelegs as part of a routine treatment. He said the application was an error made by a member of his team and accepted responsibility for the incident.

“The horse gets the same treatment every day,” Waller said. “It’s a very basic liniment most stables use and I guess the pressure of race day, the person that looks after the horse, put it on his legs right in front of the security guard, nothing to hide.”

Asterix was part-owned by New Zealand cricketer Mark Greatbatch. Waller said the incident was not intentional and stressed that responsibility rested with him and his team.

“It’s not her fault, I’ve got to wear the responsibility, it’s my team. It’s rare for us to make mistakes but the pressure of race day, you can’t explain how it affects everybody, everyone is on edge on Melbourne Cup Day and you think a little bit differently.”

The withdrawal left Waller with only one runner in the race, Soul of Spain, who eventually finished 13th. The trainer therefore ended the afternoon without a place among the leading finishers, while Maher dominated the top three positions.

2026 Melbourne Cup results: Point of Law leads Maher’s trifecta

The 2026 Melbourne Cup delivered a dramatic finish, with Point of Law overcoming the early advantage held by Royal Supremacy to take the title. The result also gave Maher a memorable one-two-three finish, as Zahrann and Juja Kibo completed the podium.

• First: Point of Law – trained by Ciaron Maher, ridden by Ethan Brown.
• Second: Zahrann – trained by Ciaron Maher.
• Third: Juja Kibo – trained by Ciaron Maher.
• Fourth: Sons and Lovers – trained by Joseph O’Brien.
• 13th: Soul of Spain – trained by Chris Waller.

Point of Law’s victory gave Brown a career-defining moment and delivered another Melbourne Cup success for Maher. The dramatic chase, the trainer’s trifecta and Waller’s pre-race withdrawal made the 2026 edition a memorable day at Flemington.

More to follow.