Laxon claims her second Melbourne Cup

By Glenn Davis

Sheila Laxon broke the ceiling for female trainers by becoming the first woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner with Ethereal in 2001.

Fast forward 23 years and Laxon returned to the scene of her famous victory to claim her second Melbourne Cup, this time with husband and co-trainer John Symons with Queensland stayer Knight’s Choice.

Knight’s Choice, the bookie’s hope and outsider at $91, stormed home after a miracle ride from Irishman Robbie Dolan to down Japanese galloper Warp Speed. 

Knight’s Choice's win etched his name in history as one of the longest priced Cup winners along with $101 winner Prince Of Penzance in 2015.

“Pinch me. I think I'm dreaming,” Dolan said. 

“It's incredible. I just can't believe it. I don't even know what to say.

“I can't even put it into words. This is the biggest race in the world and to win it is just incredible.”

Dolan had never ridden in a Melbourne Cup before Knight’s Choice’s win.

“I’ve never ridden this race before, so I didn't know what to expect, but I feel like I've ridden it 10 times because I've run the race over in my head before I got here,” Dolan said.

“It panned out exactly as I thought it would. I thought I'd be a pair closer, but they went quick so I just rode him for luck because I know he's got a good turn of foot.”

Laxon had nothing but praise for Dolan’s superb ride.

“We didn’t give him instructions he knew what to do,” Laxon said.

“The Australian horse has done it and Robbie is Australian now as well, so I’m thrilled to win the Cup and it is the people’s Cup and that’s what it is all about.”

While Laxon is best known for her feats with Ethereal, who also won the 2001 Caulfield Cup, Symons is well remembered by Queenslanders for his Group 1 Doomben 10,000 victory with Blue Diamond Stakes-winner Bel Esprit.

Laxon and Symons were a successful force in Victoria before making the move to Queensland's Sunshine Coast in 2016.

Melbourne plans for Knight’s Choice, an $85,000 buy as a yearling, were first hatched more than a year ago after the gelding won the Group 3 Winx Guineas as a three-year-old at the Sunshine Coast in July last year.

It was after his Winx Guineas victory that connections knocked back a $2.3 million offer from Hong Kong interests.

It was originally hoped he would head to Victoria for last year’s Cox Plate but a low rating forced a change of plans, and he instead went to Sydney where he ran in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick 12 months ago.

He later returned to Queensland for the Queensland Racing Carnival but despite going winless, Symons always had the Melbourne Cup in mind.