Point of Law Leads Maher Trifecta in Melbourne Cup

In a regal performance fit for a king, Point of Law (GB) made light of his lack of race experience and defied the weight of history to lead home a Melbourne Cup (G1) trifecta for his record-breaking trainer Ciaron Maher. Point of Law, who was bred and formerly raced by King Charles III before being identified by Maher's bloodstock agent Will Bourne as an ideal Melbourne Cup horse, remains unbeaten on Australian soil after adding the Nov. 3 AU$10 million showpiece at Flemington Racecourse to the Geelong Cup (G3) he collected shortly after arriving Down Under. Money has never been a problem for the British monarchy and so the size of the offer needed to be substantial for His Majesty to part with Point of Law, but having just pocketed AU$5.61 million for his connections and with the bulk of his racing career still well and truly ahead of him, the Frankel (GB) entire has already more than justified his lofty price tag. A late surge in betting just before the gates opened saw Point of Law reclaim race favoritism from the George Boughey-trained Hopewell Rock (IRE), and when the Northern Hemisphere 3-year-old hit the front 200 meters out in the hands of Ethan Brown, his supporters knew their investment was in safe keeping. The eventual winning margin of 3 3/4 lengths to his fellow import Zahrann (IRE) was testament to the dominance of the win, with the pair's stablemate Juja Kibo (IRE) running into third place under comeback jockey Sam Clipperton. Point of Law completed the 3,200 meters (about 2 miles) on good-to-soft going in 3:21.88. Although the talented trio were all born and raised overseas, it was a local boy who has applied the finishing touches as Maher further elevated his standing in the sport with a feat never seen before. In the lead up to the 166th edition, Maher had already created history by becoming the first trainer to saddle up seven Melbourne Cup runners and the record books required a further update Tuesday afternoon when he became the first horseman in the history of the great race to train the first three finishers. Astonishingly, five of the first six horses past the post are under the care of Maher, who was celebrating his first Cup win as a solo trainer having prepared 2022 victor Gold Trip (FR) in partnership with Dave Eustace. Long-time leader Royal Supremacy (IRE) eventually finished fifth, one place behind Joseph O'Brien's Sons And Lovers (GB); while Maher's mare Shockletz (NZ), who was ridden by iron man Harry Coffey, came home in sixth place to register the best finish by an Australasian-bred runner. "I knew I had my best hand going into the race, and we just had to execute," an emotional Maher said. "Point of Law has just thrived, and I can't thank all my team enough as well as the owners—what a ride they have been on. It's been a whirlwind really and I'm very proud of all the team. To train the first three horses is a very proud moment, especially as I've got my mum and dad here. "I'm still digesting it all but I couldn't be prouder of everyone, and I have to give credit to Will Bourne. He spends a lot of time overseas, and sometimes I think I work for him. But with all the connections he's made, he's just got an eye for the right horses. "I think the world's really his oyster for this horse now. He's obviously very talented, he's won the race very well and he's still only a European 3-year-old. He's got a big engine and he's got a very bright future, so it should be a lot of fun." Point of Law's momentous success also provided Juddmonte stallion Frankel with his first Melbourne Cup win, having previously come close to siring the victor of "the race that stops a nation" when Soulcombe (GB) ran second in 2023. It was also a first Cup win for Brown, who completed a heartwarming redemption story some three years after the Alice Springs native nearly gave the game away following a near-fatal fall. "I thought the horse had the best turn of foot in the race by far. I got shuffled back a bit further than I would have liked, but I was busy working with him and getting him to settle," Brown said. "When I looked up and Royal Supremacy was about 20 (lengths) in front, I just thought, 'Oh God.' "But I had to just stay cool, stay patient and cut the bend. Once he got that clear running, his turn of foot was enormous. He is going to be a superstar, this horse, he's something special."