Sportsupdated 57m ago2 min read
MapPoint Of Law Wins Melbourne Cup At Flemington, Maher Takes Historic Trifecta
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Point of Law won the 2026 Melbourne Cup at Flemington, trained by Ciaron Maher. The horse was formerly owned by King Charles III.
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Point of Law wins
Point of Law won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3, 2026, on only its sixth career start, after the three-year-old reeled in Royal Supremacy to take the $10m race. Ciaron Maher became the first trainer to saddle the top three finishers, with Zahrann finishing second and Juja Kibo taking third, giving his stable an unprecedented trifecta in the 166th edition of the Cup.
“Point of Law completed the 3,200 meters (about 2 miles) on good-to-soft going in 3:21.88.”
Jockey Ethan Brown guided the horse from the middle of the pack and raced clear in the final 100m, and Brown said, "Don't wake me up, this is every jockey's dream," as he celebrated his first Cup success in Australia. Maher described the result as a defining Melbourne Cup moment, saying, "This is what the Melbourne Cup is all about," after Point of Law completed the 3,200 metres on good-to-soft going in 3:21.88.
Royal sale, big stakes
King Charles III sold Point of Law to Australian interests earlier this year, and the horse then joined Ciaron Maher's stable before winning the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3, 2026. The BBC said the King sold Point of Law to a group of investors including former AFL player Chris Judd and his wife Bec, while the Guardian reported that Point of Law was bought by an Australian syndicate from King Charles in August.
Ethan Brown credited the horse's preparation, saying, "He's in the best of hands with Ciaron Maher," and the Guardian added that Maher had a record seven of the 23 horses in Tuesday's race. The Guardian also framed the victory as a turnaround for Brown, noting he had been "inches from losing my life" after a fall in 2023 that left him in hospital and kept him out of racing for six months.
Cup day controversy
Melbourne Cup day at Flemington also included off-track drama, with Asterix scratched after a stable worker administered Penetrene earlier on Tuesday, and the BBC said the medication is used to treat inflammation and muscle soreness but no treatments of any kind are permitted on race day. Racing Victoria chief steward Rob Montgomery told Nine that the topical treatment was "allowed during the week but not on race day," and Chris Waller was fined $50,000 for the error.
Outside the race, the BBC reported that crowds from the Australia-wide "Nup to the Cup" movement gathered to protest against horse racing, with some holding signs including "horse racing kills" and "no more whips." The Guardian said the Cup was run with 23 of the expected 24 runners parading through the mounting yard, and it reported that Waller was fined $50,000 after Asterix was scratched having been found to have received anti-inflammatory medication on race-day.