Point of Law, sold by King Charles this year, wins 2026 Melbourne Cup

Point of Law won the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday, 3 November 2026. The three-year-old was previously owned by King Charles and was sold earlier this year. The Guardian dates the sale to August.

Jockey Ethan Brown rode the horse for trainer Ciaron Maher. It is Maher's second Melbourne Cup win.

Point of Law started as a favourite. Royal Supremacy led by a large margin during the race. The BBC puts the lead at more than a dozen lengths. The Guardian says it was about 20 lengths at one point. Point of Law overtook Royal Supremacy on the home straight.

Maher had a record seven horses in the race. His horses Zahrann and Juja Kibo finished second and third. According to The Guardian, Maher is the first trainer to train the first three finishers in the race. The Guardian also reported that Royal Supremacy is trained by Maher.

Point of Law won the Geelong Cup before the Melbourne Cup. According to the BBC, the buyers were a group of investors including former AFL player Chris Judd and his wife Bec. The BBC said the price was not disclosed. The race carries prize money of about A$10m. The BBC gives the figure as A$10.2m.

Brown was hospitalised after a fall in a 2023 race and was out of racing for six months. The Guardian quoted him as saying: "I was inches from losing my life, but a bit of time off and I realised I wasn't any good at anything else."

Maher told Nine, according to The Guardian: "I knew I had my best hand going into it, but we just had to execute."

On race day, the horse Asterix was scratched after a stable worker applied the medication Penetrene. Race-day treatments of any kind are banned. Trainer Chris Waller was fined A$50,000. The Guardian states this directly. The BBC says the fine was "reportedly" imposed.

Robbie Williams performed at Flemington before the race.

What is disputed

Reports differ on the exact wording of Brown's post-race remark. The BBC quotes him as saying: "Don't wake me up, this is every jockey's dream." The Guardian reports he told Channel Nine: "Please don't wake me up," followed by "It's every jockey's dream to do this."

What each side says

• Chris Waller said the medication was applied by mistake by a staff member under race-day pressure, and openly in front of a security guard. He accepts responsibility. The Guardian quoted him: "It's not her fault, I've got to wear the responsibility, it's my team."
• Race stewards said the medication was applied in error but was still a "serious breach", according to the Age, as cited by the BBC.
• 'Nup to the Cup' protesters gathered outside Flemington to oppose horse racing, according to the BBC. Their signs included "horse racing kills" and "no more whips".

Analysis

The result links two separate stories. The first is a sporting one. Maher's top-three finish shows unusual depth in one stable. The second is a regulatory one. The Asterix case tests how strictly the race-day treatment ban is enforced when officials accept that a breach was an error. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not quote a formal stewards' decision. Further detail on the fine could still emerge. The protests outside Flemington show that debate about the sport continues alongside the event. How that debate develops cannot be determined from these reports. Neither can any lasting effect of the royal sale on the horse's profile.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.