Without A Fight Wins The Melbourne Cup

Without A Fight Wins the 2023 Melbourne Cup

Without A Fight won the 2023 Melbourne Cup for the father and son training partnership of Anthony and Sam Freedman. The win was the first by a father and son training combination in the Melbourne Cup and the second consecutive win for jockey Mark Zahra.

Zahra won the 2022 Melbourne Cup when he steam rolled the field aboard Gold Trip and it was definitely a case of lightning striking twice as the veteran hoop jump over to Without A Fight who steam rolled the 2023 field.

It was an impressive win by Without A Fight who became the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 and only the 12th horse overall to win the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double. What’s more impressive is that the Freedman family have now achieved the feat twice. 

On the coattails of Without A Fight were the Chris Waller pairing of of Soulcombe at $8 and Sheraz at $151 finishing second and third. With Soulcombe in particular Waller will be left to rue the what if, after the horse missed the jump by 4 lengths and rattled home to be within 2.25l of the winner. 

Ashrun, representing last years winning stable of Maher and Eustace came from near last on the turn to impressively finish fourth and pip home the pair of Daiqansweet Junior and Interpretation to fifth and sixth positions. 

2023 Melbourne Cup hype horse and post time favourite Vauban had every chance when entering the home straight but failed to fire finishing down the track and over thirteen lengths off Without A Fight. 

Official Results:

1. 3. Without A Fight - Mark Zahra - $8.50

2. 6. Soulcombe - Joao Morreira - $9.50 

3. 14. Sheraz - Beau Mertens - $151

4. 11. Ashrun - Kerrin McEvoy - $26.00

Exotics:

Quinella - $43.20 

Exacta - $89.20

Trifecta - $10,668.10

First Four - $332,291.10

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