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Trainer Ciaron Maher had the biggest hand numbers-wise in the 2026 Melbourne Cup and came away with the chocolates, the master horseman securing the coveted trifecta in the 166th running of the ‘race that stops a nation’ with the reinstalled favourite Point Of Law saluting in a thrilling finish off a patient Ethan Brown ride.
Following plenty of race morning drama including the shock withdrawal of Asterix from the field, punters watched 23 horses go around in this year’s Group 1 $10.2 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) but it was the impressive Ladbrokes Geelong Cup winner Point Of Law who earned his place in the history books becoming the race’s most lightly raced champion ever.
2026 Melbourne Cup Results
- #20 Point Of Law
- #15 Zahrann
- #11 Juja Kibo
4th: No. 1 Sons And Lovers
Winning Margin: 3.75 lengths
Winning Time: 3:21.88
Winning Trainer: Ciaron Maher
Winning Jockey: Ethan Brown
A European three-year-old racing down under as a four-year-old, the brilliant son of Frankel only debuted in Australia on October 21, but boy did he deliver there and on the big day to become the first Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double winner since Dunaden (2011).
Having sat top of Melbourne Cup betting after his Geelong Cup win, the money eased on the eventual hero throughout the day, but by jump time in the famous Flemington Race 7 Point Of Law was back into $7 favouritism.
For those that backed him early, it was a dream result as he showed off his blistering turn of foot to flash home off a beautiful and well-timed ride by Brown to beat the team’s Naturalism Stakes winner Zahrann home by an emphatic 3.75 lengths while the in-form The Metropolitan – Moonee Valley Gold Cup champ Juja Kibo finished a close third in a photo for the minors.
“I knew I had my best hand going into it, we just had to execute,” Maher told Channel 7 post-victory.
“Point Of Law has just thrived.
“I can’t thank all the team enough all the owners – what a ride they have been on.
“It’s been a whirlwind really.
“To get three horses in the first three spots…I’m very proud.”
The Melbourne Cup 2026 result saw Maher claim his second ‘Loving Trophy’ following his 2022 success with Gold Trip when in partnership with David Eustace.
From the dirt tracks in Alice Springs all the way to the country’s best horse race, Brown bid his time in what proved to be a genuine out-and-out staying test as rival hoop Ben Allen looked to steal the show aboard Maher’s 50/1 outsider Royal Supremacy.
“Don’t wake me up!” the 2026 Melbourne Cup winning jockey said.
“It’s an amazing feeling.”
The feeling of winning a Melbourne Cup was made even sweeter by Brown’s story as the beloved rider nearly lost his career and his life in a nasty 2023 fall in the Australian Guineas.
“As they say, I guess, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Brown said.
“And there were a lot of speed bumps from that fall to get it to my comeback. It was very hard at times.
“At one stage, I didn’t think I was going to come back, I didn’t think it would be worth it.
“But I had a slow burn and woke up one morning and thought I needed to get back riding.
“It’s all led to this moment now, I’ve just got to pinch myself.”
Brown was riding Maximillius when he suffered a horrific fall in the home straight. He sustained a lacerated liver, kidney damage, significant internal bleeding, fractures in his lower back, and reportedly lost more than five litres of blood. He spent time in intensive care and was sidelined for several months before making a successful return to race riding.
“It’s been well documented how he (Maher) talked me out of horse training when I was about 22 years old,” Brown said on Tuesday.
“He’s done nothing but support me and back me…he’s had nothing but faith and believed in me.
“I’m speechless.”
Charging across from wide out to take up front running, Royal Supremacy got out to a shocking 20-length lead mid-stage and still had 12 lengths to spare on his Melbourne Cup rivals with 400m left to go; a move that even Maher hadn’t expected.
“I certainly didn’t know that Royal Supremacy would go and lead by that far,” Maher admitted.
“But there’s nothing better than a true staying test.
“What a ride.”
Starting to tire at the 250, the gap closed as the backmarkers made their moves, and it was quickly all eyes on Point Of Law who hit top gear, got closer to the inside and charged past them in an effortless display.
“Looking at the race I thought he has got the best turn of foot in the race by far,” Brown explained.
“I got shuffled back a bit further than I would have liked but I was busy working with him and getting him to settle and I looked up and Royal Supremacy was about 20 in front and I thought ‘oh god’.
“So, I had to just stay cool, stay patient, cut the bend and once he got that clear running his turn of foot was enormous.”
The best of the international raiders in the official Melbourne Cup 2026 finishing order was the Joseph O’Brien-trained topweight Sons And Lovers who finished off the first four some five lengths off the winner.
“He ran great,” Dylan Browne Mcmonagle said of Sons And Lovers.
“Got a nice spot, and we steadied up a bit halfway but came home well.”
The front-running Royal Supremacy was far from disgraced after his tactical display to cross the line fifth.
“Obviously wasn’t the plan,” Allen said of getting out to such a big lead.
“He’s very tough.
“I was surprised when I looked back how far off they were as I didn’t think we’d gone that sort of gallop but he was very tough.
“The way he ran it he ran a strong two-mile.
“Very game in defeat.”
Maher also rounded out the Melbourne Cup Top 6 with his Lexus Archer Stakes winning mare Shockletz, daughter of the 2009 winner Shocking, running a game sixth.
“She was super,” Shockletz’s jockey Harry Coffey said after the run.
“Brave.
“It was a bit of a stop-start event for the first bit.
“It was a sprint home which probably didn’t suit her, but she was brave and did a good job.”
The others from the Maher contingent were last year’s third placegetter Middle Earth in 10th and Mr Monaco in 17th.
Speaking of the supreme effort to win a Melbourne Cup at just start number six, Maher was typically excited for what the future looks like for Point Of Law.
“I think the world’s his oyster really,” he said.
“He’s obviously very talented.
“He’s won that very well and he’s a European three year old still.
“I think he’s got a bright future, a big engine and should be a lot of fun.”
Brown agrees.
“He’s going to be a superstar,” he said.
“He’s going to be something special.”
It’s hard to argue with that.
Melbourne Cup 2026 Results
| 20. Point Of Law (9) 53kg141×1 | |||
| 15. Zahrann (11) 54.5kgx4106 | |||
| 11. Juja Kibo (14) 55kgx3211 | |||
| 1. Sons And Lovers (3) 57.5kg44512 | |||
| 7. Royal Supremacy (21) 56kg1×910 | |||
| 24. Shockletz (17) 51kg64162 | |||
| 18. James J Braddock (24) 53.5kg136×6 | |||
| 16. So You Are (7) 54kg21111 | |||
| 12. Hopewell Rock (15) 54.5kg3612x | |||
| 4. Middle Earth (1) 56.5kg87898 | |||
| 2. Trustyourinstinct (18) 57kg21214 | |||
| 3. Knight’s Choice (2) 56.5kgx0930 | |||
| 14. Soul Of Spain (5) 54.5kg68378 | |||
| 23. Zakouma (10) 52kgx6650 | |||
| 6. Enfjaar (8) 56kg381×3 | |||
| 19. Kizlyar (20) 53.5kg1x2x0 | |||
| 22. Mr Monaco (16) 52.5kgx4013 | |||
| 21. Strictly Business (4) 53kg2×000 | |||
| 8. Wine Dark Sea (23) 56kg151×0 | |||
| 17. Future History (12) 53.5kgx3249 | |||
| 13. Onesmoothoperator (13) 54.5kg9×090 | |||
| 10. Goodie Two Shoes (19) 55kgx8210 | |||
| 5. Vauban (22) 56.5kg133×9 | |||
| 9. Asterix (6)SCRATCHED: | |||
