Point Of Law wins Melbourne Cup as Maher claims trifecta

Point Of Law won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3, giving trainer Ciaron Maher the first three finishers in the race’s history. Ridden by Ethan Brown, the three-year-old colt surged past front-runner Royal Supremacy in the closing stages. Maher’s Zahrann finished second and Juja Kibo third in the 3,200-metre race, the 166th running of the Cup. Royal Supremacy, also trained by Maher, set the pace and led for much of the race before tiring in the straight. Reports differed on the size of its biggest lead, with estimates ranging from 15 lengths to about 20. Point Of Law had been positioned further back before making its late run; Royal Supremacy finished fifth. Brown said he feared he had left his challenge too late when he saw the leader well ahead, but grew more confident as Royal Supremacy tired and Point Of Law accelerated. The win was Brown’s first Melbourne Cup victory. He said the colt had a powerful turn of foot, while Maher said the race became a true staying test and that Point Of Law thrived in those conditions. The result was Maher’s second Melbourne Cup win, following Gold Trip in 2022, and his seven runners included the three horses that filled the...