Half Yours will carry the weight of a nation as the only Australian-bred galloper in the $10 million Melbourne Cup, as star jockey Jamie Melham chases her slice of history.

Should Melham triumph at Flemington on Tuesday, she will be the first female jockey to claim both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups.

Melham was the first female hoop to win the Caulfield Cup last month, when she saluted aboard five-year-old Half Yours.

Melbourne Cup 2025 form guide and betting

Showers are forecast for today after around 30mm fell at Flemington on Monday, reshaping the chances of this year’s contenders. Explore our interactive form guide to all the horses set to line up in the great race.

She has placed twice in the Melbourne Cup, having finished third aboard Prince Of Arran (2020) and Okita Soushi (2024).

The 29-year-old is aiming to emulate close friend Michelle Payne on the 10th anniversary of her famous win aboard Prince Of Penzance.

Payne is the only female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.

“I’m very, very excited about it,” Melham said.

“This horse is looking amazing, feeling amazing, and I did some work [last week] with him.

“I don’t like the rain that much, but he loves it.

“Barrier eight makes my job just a little bit easier. I would just love to get as close as I can to the rail and put him to sleep early.

“He won’t have any trouble running this trip out if I can just give him a really nice, quiet run early and just save him.”

Loading…

Melham and husband Ben, who is on Ciaron Maher-trained Smokin’ Romans, will become the first married couple to ride against each other in Melbourne Cup history.

“It’s very special that we get to do this together,” she said.

“I told him he can run a nice second but I’m winning the race, not him.”

How the Diva did the impossible, 20 years on

From quiet beginnings, an unknown English filly came Down Under and changed Australia’s racing history by achieving the impossible. This is how Makybe Diva won a historic third Melbourne Cup 20 years ago.

Persistent rain in the build-up to Tuesday will likely result in a wet surface at Flemington, with track manager Liam O’Keeffe expressing hope for a Soft 6 rating by Cup time.

Half Yours’s trainers, father-son duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy, were not perturbed by the wet weather in Melbourne

“Things are working out really well for our horse and it’s so exciting to have a horse that’s got current form,” Calvin McEvoy said.

“He’s in with the right weight [53 kilograms], the right jockey, and now it’s looking like we’re going to get the right conditions as well.

“It’s filling us with confidence and we’re just very excited to be taking part.”

AAP