Jamie Melham has made history, becoming the first female jockey to ever win a Caulfield Cup after guiding favourite Half Yours to salute in the $5 million feature.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for Melham who just two years ago was left in a fight for her life after a nasty race fall at Flemington in 2023.
Watch live coverage of the 2025 Spring Racing Carnival events with Racing.com available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
It took a year for the star jockey to recover from injuries including bleeding to the brain, which put her in an induced coma for five days, and multiple bone breaks to her wrist, foot and nose.
But on Saturday, Melham’s fortunes turned as the first female winning jockey in the Caulfield Cup’s long and storeyed 146-year career.
An emotional Melham said the race worked out “perfectly” for Half Yours.
“I have tried not to think about it for the last few days because I wanted to come out here and ride – give him the best because I knew he was the best horse in the race. But everything was perfect. It worked out perfectly for him,” she told Channel 7.
“Just saying Caulfield Cup makes me cry. I have won 17 Group 1s now but that major has eluded me and I just wanted to get maybe one – maybe three more – and the Melbourne Cup.”
Trained by father-son duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Half Yours presented into the clear at the top of the straight before chasing down the leaders to hit the front 200m out and hold on.
Melham, who has been the country’s leading female jockey for several years, is now celebrating today’s Caulfield Cup success as her first in any of the Melbourne spring’s “big three” majors (Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Melbourne Cup).
Channel 7’s racing expert Lizzie Jelfs called her Caulfield Cup ride as the “most important” of Melham’s career.
“We were hoping she was going to be able to get the job done and that’s exactly what she did. You could almost see the smile and relief on her face as she edged towards the posts,” Jelfs said.
“This is a very special moment for the McEvoys and Jamie Melham.”
“As you referenced, this was the most important day of her life in the saddle, and she has been able to get the job done in absolutely brilliant fashion.”
Half Yours was purchased by his current owners for $305,000 in November of last year after the horse was made available in a dispersal sale.
Not even 12 months later, and the new connections have won nearly 10 times that amount.
Co-trainer Tony McEvoy called it a “proud moment” to achieve such a result with his son Calvin.
“He might be nice to me for a little while now. It is a very important moment, proud moment for me, to be able to do it with Cal, and it is really important,” McEvoy said.
Half Yours edged out roughie River of Stars (2nd) with Valiant King running on strongly for 3rd.
Discussion about this post