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The road to the 2026 Melbourne Cup took another dramatic twist at Ladbrokes Geelong on Wednesday as exciting import Point Of Law stamped himself as a genuine two-mile contender with a commanding victory in the Group 3 $500,000 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m).
Prepared by powerhouse trainer Ciaron Maher, the lightly raced son of Frankel announced himself as one of the spring’s rising stars when defeating fellow internationals Small Fry and Omni Man in a performance that immediately sent bookmakers scrambling.
Already regarded as a horse with enormous upside, Point Of Law firmed dramatically in post-race Melbourne Cup 2026 betting markets, slashing from $34 into outright $8 favourite with Ladbrokes following his success in the Geelong Cup 2026 results.
The progressive British-bred three-year-old arrived in Australia with an impressive European profile that included victory in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarket, but on Wednesday he proved he possesses the staying talent required for Australia’s greatest race.
Partnered by Ethan Brown, Point Of Law settled prominently throughout before proving too strong in the concluding stages, scoring by a half-length over Joseph O’Brien‘s Small Fry, with stablemate Omni Man another length and a half away in third.
His winning time of 2:27.97 only added further merit to a performance that suggested the best is still to come.
Melbourne Cup 2026 Odds
| 1. Point Of Law | ||
| 2. Trustyourinstinct | ||
| 3. Defiantly | ||
| 4. James J Braddock | ||
| 5. Shockletz |
Maher Finally Breaks Through In Geelong Cup
For Maher, the victory carried extra significance.
Despite becoming one of Australia’s dominant trainers, the Geelong Cup had remained a frustrating omission from his glittering resume.
The trainer admitted the race had long been a target after several near misses over the years.
“It’s eluded me this race. I’ve run second a number of times, including one of my first good horses Moudre,” he told Racing Victoria.
“It’s great to win, but it’s great to win it with such a progressive horse. It’s absolutely phenomenal.
“Sammy has done a great job with this horse since he came over from quarantine. I can’t thank Harry Eustace enough. He went to his yard.
“He’s just a good horse. He was well credentialled in Europe. He was very lightly raced. It was a beautiful ride by Brownie and hopefully he pulls up well, because he looks like he’ll run two-mile.”
The victory continued Maher’s exceptional spring carnival and immediately sparked discussion about whether Point Of Law could become the stable’s next star for the Group 1 $10.2 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 3.
Maher, whose sole Melbourne Cup victory was back in 2022 with Gold Trip in partnership with David Eustace, also revealed the fascinating backstory to the import’s acquisition, crediting connections overseas and even a royal relationship that helped bring the horse to Australia.
“She hasn’t told me all the details of their conversation, and she wouldn’t do that, but she would have helped (getting the horse),” he said.
“We were fortunate enough to get Circle Of Fire off His Majesty and we were second with his horse here last year, Gilded Water.
“It’s fantastic that we were able to get the horse and I can’t thank them enough.”
A Stayer Still Learning His Craft
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Wednesday’s victory was Maher’s belief that Point Of Law is still far from the finished product.
Having raced only five times in his career, the colt continues to mature with every outing and is still adapting to Australian racing conditions.
Maher indicated the youngster’s development since arriving in the country has been significant.
“This is a good insight into how he was going to be,” the master horseman added.
“We thought he had enough ability, but because he’s so lightly raced, a new country.
“I also have to thank Joseph O’Brien and his staff, he took control of Sammy there one morning and they’ve been fantastic in riding him.
“With each passing day, he’s relaxed a little bit more, he’s got used to the routine.
“He paraded beautiful, so hopefully he pulls up well.
“He doesn’t look like he’s too stressed there and Brownie looks quite happy there as well.
“He’ll have some decisions to make.”
Those comments are unlikely to cool Melbourne Cup enthusiasm, particularly given the horse’s natural stamina and scope for further improvement over longer distances.
Brown Sees Melbourne Cup Horse In The Making
Winning jockey Brown was equally impressed after partnering Point Of Law for the first time.
Brown revealed the colt’s racing manners were still a work in progress, but his engine quickly became apparent once the race unfolded.
“First time I sat on the horse, and I only got a feel for him going to the gates and he was quite keen,” he said.
“From the gate, it couldn’t have worked out any better.
“There was a bit of pressure early where I thought at one stage I was going to take it up but I didn’t want to wind him up too much knowing that he gets keen, so I had to be more of a horseman on him and work with him rather than worrying about trying to bang him into a spot and do something quickly.”
After finding cover outside the leader, Brown was confident the strong tempo would suit.
“So, I just allowed him to find his rhythm, bring him back outside the leader where he settled really well,” he added.
“It was a strong gallop which I wasn’t worried about.
“Ciaron told me the other day he galloped four laps when the rider couldn’t pull him up at Werribee.
“So I knew he’d sustain a gallop.”
As the race developed approaching the turn, Brown sensed he had plenty underneath him.
“Going through his replays, he has been nothing but impressive,” Brown said.
“He just showed all of that today.
“He hit the front very soon. He could have got run down but he’s a racehorse, he fought on and he wanted to win.
“He’s only going to get better over a trip.”
Brown was especially encouraged by how Point Of Law handled Geelong’s famously undulating circuit.
“I was trying to help him down that dip,” he explained.
“Geelong can be a tricky track for some of these horses.
“Help him get through his gears.
“I thought I had The Euphrates covered.
“We set a nice gallop and I knew he’d be vulnerable late, but to his credit, class kicked in.
“Great training performance.”
The jockey also praised the ownership group for their investment in securing the talented import.
“Congratulations to the owners. They spent a bit of money but they have a very good horse on their hands.”
French raiders Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011) are the latest horses to complete the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double.
New Melbourne Cup 2026 Favourite Emerges
Perhaps Brown’s most telling comments came when discussion turned to the Melbourne Cup.
Before the race there had been uncertainty over whether a winning penalty could complicate the horse’s path to Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
Instead, Point Of Law answered every question emphatically.
“We’ll see what happens,” Brown said.
“I said this horse will get a penalty if he wins and Ciaron said, ‘don’t worry about that, mate, get the job done here first’.
“He’s going to go to the Cup as a huge chance from what I felt today.
“He will improve again and he’s a very exciting horse.”
Those sentiments were echoed by punters, with Point Of Law’s dominant Geelong Cup performance triggering one of the biggest Melbourne Cup betting market moves of the spring.
Now the new $8 favourite for the 2026 Melbourne Cup, the Maher-trained import heads towards Flemington carrying enormous momentum, increasing public support, and perhaps most importantly, the profile of a horse whose best staying performances may still lie ahead.
After Wednesday’s Geelong Cup triumph, one thing is clear: Point Of Law is no longer a promising international prospect. He has become a genuine Melbourne Cup heavyweight.
