Point Of Law, formerly owned by the King and Queen, secured a decisive Melbourne Cup victory at Flemington as trainer Ciaron Maher swept the first three places. Ethan Brown rode the favourite to victory at the course where a near-fatal fall in 2023 had threatened to end his career.
With stablemate Royal Supremacy establishing a strong pace and a substantial lead, Brown had to remain patient after settling further back than intended. Once a clear route opened, Point Of Law produced a sharp acceleration to overhaul the leader, who eventually finished fifth. Zahrann took second, almost four lengths behind the winner, with Juja Kibo completing Maher's clean sweep of the podium.
Maher fielded seven runners and also trained the sixth-place finisher. Expressing pride in his team, he praised Point Of Law's progress and welcomed the demanding test of stamina. It was another Melbourne Cup success for the trainer, who had shared responsibility for 2022 winner Gold Trip with David Eustace.
For Brown, the result rewarded the trainer's sustained faith: Maher had persuaded him to resume riding and continued to support him. Point Of Law, a son of Frankel, had previously been trained by John and Thady Gosden, finishing fourth in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot and winning Newmarket's Bahrain Trophy. Following a private purchase to continue his career in Australia, he won the Geelong Cup on his first start for his new connections before adding the Melbourne Cup.
