- Irish hoop lived a childhood dream at Flemington
- His horse was a 100-1 shot with some bookies
Melbourne Cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan has revealed that he had to ask NRL legend Billy Slater if he’d won the great race after his thrilling ride on Knight’s Choice on Tuesday.
An 80-1 shot, Knight’s Choice prevailed by a nose for trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon from Japanese raider Warp Speed on Tuesday at Flemington.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Okita Soushi was third, with global racing giant Godolphin’s Zardozi fourth.
The finish was so close that Dolan was unsure if he’d claimed the honours straight after passing the post – and found out from the NRL great, who was on horseback interviewing jockeys immediately after their races.
‘Yeah, it felt like a lifetime hacking around with Billy Slater to see if I won or not,’ Dolan revealed.
‘I said, “Did I win or not?”‘
Dolan said Slater replied: ‘Mate, are you having a lend?’
The Irish hoop was over the moon when it was confirmed that he’d taken the biggest prize in Australian racing.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan was unsure if he’d won the Melbourne Cup after his thrilling ride on Knight’s Choice on Tuesday
Dolan says he asked NRL legend Billy Slater if he could confirm the result after his mount was in a photo finish with Warp Speed
‘It is incredible,’ Dolan said. ‘I can’t believe it. I don’t even know what to say…
‘I watched every Melbourne Cup far the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him to stay the trip and hopefully he can run home and do the quick sectionals he can on a good track and he proved everybody wrong.’
Irish expat Dolan – from County Kildare, west of Dublin – arrived in Australia eight years ago and fell in love with the country.
The 28-year-old’s stunning ride has cemented the relationship with his adopted home.
‘I was young and immature and I probably needed to go somewhere to expand my experience,’ Dolan said of his move to the other side of the world.
‘I planned on coming for one year and I’ve been here for eight and now I’ve won a Melbourne Cup.
Dolan (pictured with his wife, daughter and father after winning the Cup) moved to Australia in 2016 seeking a fresh start due to a lack of opportunities as an apprentice jockey in Ireland
Dolan is tipped to take home a little over $220,000 – plus a miniature Melbourne Cup trophy worth $10,000
‘I probably don’t see myself going home anytime soon.’
Dolan was born into racing – his father Bobby worked in Ireland for two-time Cup-winning trainer Dermot Weld for 26 years.
But he hadn’t sat on a horse until at least his mid-teens and had a strained relationship with the sport, at one stage turning to music as a possible new career.
The talented singer appeared on The Voice in 2022 and was also employed to sing on a Cup-themed cruise ship, where a chance meeting with trainer Sheila Laxon spawned a relationship that ultimately reaped huge rewards.
Dolan approached Laxon, who famously became the first female trainer to win the Cup with Ethereal in 2001, and the rest is history.
‘Sheila was there with the Melbourne Cup. I met her and got a photo with her,’ Dolan said.
‘Now we have won the freaking Melbourne Cup. It has got to be a movie … surely.’
