A second consecutive winner for Mark Zahra, a third for Darley Stud’s Teofilo (IRE), and a first for Anthony and Sam Freedman, as the Caulfield Cup hero Without A Fight (IRE) proved a dominant winner of the Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Beaten by over 21-lengths in the race 12 months ago, Without A Fight made the race his own, coming clear to defeat the Frankel gelding Soulcombe by two and a quarter lengths with a half-length back to the Sea The Stars (IRE) gelding Sheraz (FRA) who put in a career-best for third.
Given a ground-saving ride by Mark Zahra, Without A Fight moved into a challenging position on the turn, went right by the Willie Mullins-trained pair Absurde and Vauban, and had the race in his keeping over the final 300m.
Soulcombe missed the start again and had a checkered run in the straight, but the son of Frankel was clearly second-best on the day.
Without A Fight is the 12th horse to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year and the first since Ethereal (NZ) in 2001.
The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid homebred advances his record to 11 wins, three seconds and four thirds from 23 starts with earnings of $9,471,620.
A 7-year-old gelding, Without A Fight won three European stakes races, including the Group III John Smith's Silver Cup Stakes (14f) at York when trained by Simon and Ed Crisford.
He was left with the Freedmans after disappointing behind Gold Trip (FR) in the Melbourne Cup last year and won his two starts in a winter campaign in Brisbane, the Group III Lord Mayors Cup (1800m) and Group II The Q22 (2200m), both at Eagle Farm.
He entered the Caulfield Cup off just one lead-up, a close-up sixth behind Alligator Blood in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 23.
“It’s been a great race for the family, it’s been a while between drinks but it’s good to get another one and credit to the old man, he’s been incredible through all of this, his wisdom and experience in nursing a horse through like this,” Sam Freedman said.
“He went up to Queensland with him and looked after him up there and got him right into form and brought it back to Victoria and he’s been brilliant ever since so credit to him.
“An extraordinary ride, when you go back and watch it, he got him onto the rails from a wide gate, relaxed, switched him off, made a run through and I was pretty confident at the 800m he was travelling, he just needed the breaks to come.
“The horse is a freak, he let down like he was a sprinter at the 400 and there were no doubts on the trip late so he was excellent.”
Mark Zahra said it all went to plan.
“Unbelievable. If I could’ve thought I’d have that run from 16 I’d have said he was unbeatable,” he said.
“To the trainer’s credit and all their team, he was just an absolute gentleman today, went to the rails, switched off, I probably got to the front earlier than last year but I’d just had that soft a run.
“I was following Alenquer, probably not the best chance but D Oliver, in front of him was Gold Trip with James Mcdonald, in front of him was Vauban and Ryan Moore, so I thought I’m just going to stay here. They all made their moves, which opened up for me and I was on a horse you can just sit on, he’s got an electric turn of foot and he just pulled me all the way to the line and it was all over.
“I stood up in the irons and gave them the two fingers for two winners, I don’t know what I was thinking- idiot.
“Mark Hunter is a good friend and I rate him as one of the best judges in Australia. I spoke to him at length and he said ‘you know, there’s not much in it, but if you can get him to settle, he’ll run it’, we went through the race, the weather forecast. The stars aligned for Gold Trip last year and they aligned for this horse this year.
“I don’t get to pick the result, I have to pick them before then. Just a few things, weight and the way he won the Caulfield Cup, I was confident he’d run it out today.”
Without A Fight follows the 2020 winner Twilight Payment (IRE), and 2018 winner Cross Counter (GB) as Melbourne Cup winners for Darley Stud’s 6-season shuttler Teofilo (IRE).
He is the best of four winners from five to race for the Group III-winning Dubawi mare Khor Sheed, a 28,000 gns purchase for BBA Ireland on behalf of Yulong Stud at the 2023 Tattersalls February Sale.
Khor Sheed’s unraced daughter Sharja Princess (Invincible Spirit) is the dam of Grade II John C Mabee Stakes winner Avenue de France (Cityscape).
A half-sister to Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Prince Kirk (Selkirk), Khor Sheed is a granddaughter of Group 1 winner Halo's Princess (Halo), a half-sister to the imported mare Curator (CAN).
A daughter of Assert (IRE), Curator left her mark as the dam of Group 1 SAJC South Australian Oaks and Group 1 WATC Western Australian Derby winner Voile D'Or (Dieu d'Or); Group 1 STC Mercedes Classic (Tancred Stakes) winner Curata Storm (Dieu d'Or); and Listed Gosford Belle Of The Turf Stakes winner Imperatrix (Strategic), dam of the Listed Canberra Cup winner Court Connection.
