‘He’s up there’: Melham’s tribute to late grandfather after Cup win

Jamie Melham has produced the ride of her life on Half Yours to win the $10 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington, making history in the process.

Melham’s win made her the first female jockey to win both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups — adding to her victory on Half Yours last month.

It was the latest chapter in a fascinating, high-profile career for the star jockey.

On the 10th anniversary of Michelle Payne’s historic Melbourne Cup win on Prince of Penzance, Melham held Half Yours in midfield before making her move in the famous finishing straight.

Ireland’s Goodie Two Shoes — trained by Joseph O’Brien — hit the front with the Ciaron Maher-trained Middle Earth coming down the outside.

But Melham got the perfect inside run one out from the fence to burst through and take the lead inside the clocktower.

She rode Half Yours clear to win by two and three-quarter lengths from Goodie Two Shoes, with Middle Earth third.

An emotional Melham revealed that her grandfather had died in the week before the race.

“I have to mention my grandpa. He died last week. The last race was the Caulfield Cup. And he was such a big supporter of mine,” Melham told Nine.

“So he’s up there opening those gaps for me because I needed a few gaps open then, and my mum and dad are here.”

Melham also spoke of the ups and downs of the racing life that had led her to Flemington glory.

“This is why we get up every morning, 4am, work our arses off,” she said.

“This industry, it’s tough. It’s not all glorious and perfect, as everyone can see sometimes.

“I’ve had an 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 had previously finished second twice on Prince of Arran (2020) and Okita Soushi (2024).

Half Yours was trained by the first father-son team to win the Cup, Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

The winning horse was bred by Melham’s mentors Janice and Col McKenna. Col McKenna died last year, and Half Yours was subsequently sold to the McEvoys.

“Look, I’ve got Col up there, and he and Janice bred this horse, [they’ve] done an incredible job with him.”

Melham said she and her husband Ben — who finished 14th on Smokin’ Romans — had visualised the race the night before.

“I wrote it down. He [Ben] told me to. We don’t normally talk racing much, but we ran through this race about 10, 15 times yesterday,” she said.

“And that’s exactly what I wanted to happen. Not normally what you want to happen happens, but in these big races there’s so many good chances, so many chances, and all you can do is give them a good ride.

“And I said that to Tony and Calvin there, another incredible supporter of mine … they have been there for me since I was a 15-year-old kid and continue to this day to be there for me and support me. So they deserve this so much.”

Melham’s parents, John Kah and Karen Gardiner-Kah, are former speed skaters who represented Australia at the Winter Olympics.

Kah told the ABC how proud they were of Melham and her “perfect ride”.

“This is the pinnacle. No matter what happens in the rest of these races, the Melbourne Cup is the Melbourne Cup,” he said.

“It wouldn’t have been the same if she had finished her career and not won a Melbourne Cup, so it is a huge one to tick off.

“I actually don’t get that nervous anymore because it’s out of our hands, it’s out of everything, it is in the lap of the gods, really.

“As long as she gives it a great ride, we were always happy, and that was the perfect ride.”

Gardiner-Kah also said there were more important results than winning.

“I’m just happy she finished safe and sound, all the jockeys, really. She did say this particular horse was such an easy ride, and so I felt confident she could give it her best,” she said.

Topweight Al Riffa, who had been favourite for some time before the race, ran on to finish seventh, while French galloper Presage Nocturne — which started the race as favourite — faded to finish 19th.

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