Jamie Melham makes history on Half Yours by winning Melbourne Cup 2025 in emotional scenes

A decade on from Michelle Payne making history at Flemington, Jamie Melham has become the first female to claim the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Double aboard Half Yours.

Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015 and was on hand to watch Melham surpass her feat, by claiming the rare double. 

Goodie Two Shoes was beaten to take second place followed by Middle Earth and River of Stars. 

But it was the five-year-old gelding that found the gaps and stormed home to claim a memorable victory, with an emotional Melham capping off a huge year.

'This is what we do it for,' she said.

'This is why we get up out of every morning, 4am, work our a***s off ... this industry., it's tough. It's not all glorious and perfect. 

'I've had an amazing year. Amazing year. Got married, had some really great days on the track, but nothing ever, ever compares to this feeling right now I'm feeling.'

Melham dedicated the win to her grandfather, who watched her win the Caulfield Cup, but died before he could see her win the Melbourne Cup. 

'I have to mention my grandpa. He died last week. The last race was the Caulfield Cup,' she said.

'And he was such a big supporter of mine. So he's up there opening those gaps for me because I needed a few gaps open then.

She also thanked her husband Ben, who rode Smokin' Romans, making them the first married couple to contest the Melbourne Cup together. 

Melham also admitted she threw her husband a cheeky sledge as she stormed past him in the final jostle for positions.

'I said move over Ben coming through. And then the next gap was extremely tight. I had no say. My horse just took me through it and it was tight,' she said.

'I just wanted to jump off that horse and not talk to anyone, just hug the horse. I wanted to give him a big hug. What a champion.'

Full order of finishing from first to last:

1. Half Yours

2. Goodie Two Shoes

3. Middle Earth

4. River of Stars

5. Torranzino

6. Vauban

7. Al Riffa 

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