Without A Fight came with a strong run in the home straight to land the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday.
The six-year-old, formerly trained by Simon & Ed Crisford, racing in the yellow and black Sheikh Obaid silks made famous by horses like Postponed, took off under jockey Mark Zahra once straightened up after the final turn.
Willie Mullins' pair of Vauban and Absurde both showed up well heading into the closing stages but faded out of the places late on, finishing 14th and seventh respectively. Joseph O’Brien’s contender Okita Soushi never really figured and finished 11th, while Hollie Doyle was 15th on Future History.
It was a second successive Melbourne Cup victory for Zahra who won the race last year on Gold Trip, and a first for the father and son training partnership of Anthony & Sam Freedman.
The Freedman family are synonymous with the Melbourne Cup, with Anthony's brother Lee having won it five times including three times with Makybe Diva.
Meanwhile, Without A Fight became the first horse to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup in the same year since Ethereal in 2001.
Held up in the early stages from a wide post in 16, Zahra switched his mount off and got him travelling before making his way through the field.
The field was taken along by Serpentine, winner of the 2020 Derby at Epsom, and the six-year-old set a good gallop before he was pressured for the lead by Kalapour at halfway.
Ryan Moore looked to be travelling well in about sixth place aboard Vauban at that point and when they turned into the home straight he had made his way to the front.
As he kicked for home stablemate Absurde, well backed in the final hour before the race, loomed up to his outside under Zac Purton and it soon became clear he was the more likely winner of the Mullins pair.
Without A Fight had been pulled out for his challenge by this point, though, and he finished best of all for a convincing success, with Soulcombe running on for second and Sheraz third.
“It’s been a great race for the family,” Sam Freedman said. “Credit to the old man, he’s been incredible. It was an extraordinary ride, got him on to the rail switched him off. He went down like he’s a sprinter at the 400m.”
Zahra celebrated his back-to-back successes with a two-fingered salute to the crowd and he said: “It's unbelievable.
“If I thought I would’ve had that run from 16 I would’ve said he’s unbeatable. I was following Alenquer, I thought I’d just stay here and he’s got an electric turn of foot, he pulled me all the way to the line.”
Zahra, the first rider since Harry White in 1978 and 1979 to win successive Melbourne Cups on different horses having partnered Gold Trip last year, added: “I thought the biggest opposition was my horse himself.
“Going to the gates he was relaxed I thought this was a good sign. I was getting to the front early but I just thought there was no way anything was coming from behind me and boom away we went.
“To change horses to get a bit of flak about my choice and for it to pay off is justified.”
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