Point of Law wins 2026 Melbourne Cup as Maher trains the trifecta

Point of Law won the 2026 Melbourne Cup at Flemington on 3 November, giving trainer Ciaron Maher the first trifecta in the race’s history. Jockey Ethan Brown guided the horse to victory by three-and-three-quarters lengths after Royal Supremacy had led by as much as 20 lengths. Zahrann finished second and Juja Kibo third; both are also trained by Maher. The Joseph O’Brien-trained Sons and Lovers placed fourth.

Point of Law is a three-year-old stallion that King Charles owned until an Australian syndicate bought him in August. He had placed fourth at Royal Ascot over 2,800 metres and won the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. His Australian debut came in the Geelong Cup, after which he went to the top of Melbourne Cup betting. Maher had a record seven runners in the 23-horse field.

How the race unfolded

Royal Supremacy, another Maher horse, broke from barrier 21 on a soft track and opened a large lead. By the 1,500-metre mark the advantage was eight lengths; at 1,000 metres it reached 20 lengths. The lead began to shrink in the straight. Point of Law, settled well back, quickened inside the final 400 metres and surged past with about 150 metres remaining. Brown said the horse quickened so sharply at the 350-metre mark that he thought the race was over.

Maher’s runners filled five of the top six places. Royal Supremacy held on for fifth and Shockletz finished sixth. The trainer told the Nine Network he knew he had his strongest hand but still had to execute. He noted that a true staying test over 3,200 metres suited the way the race developed.

Jockey and ownership details

Ethan Brown, who nearly died in a fall three years earlier, recorded his first Melbourne Cup win. He grew up riding motorbikes near Alice Springs before switching to horses. He chose Point of Law over another Maher runner, Zahrann, in the spring. The horse carried Brown to a Geelong Cup victory and then to the main event.

The purchase from King Charles was completed mid-year. Point of Law is now owned by an Australian syndicate. No public statement from the former royal owner has been released. The win is Maher’s second Melbourne Cup after Gold Trip in 2022.

Race context

The Melbourne Cup is run over 3,200 metres at Flemington and carries a purse of A$10 million. It is traditionally held on the first Tuesday in November. Overnight rain left the track soft. A stewards’ ruling scratched Asterix after a liniment was applied without permission; that decision did not affect the final placings of the Maher horses.

The result confirms Maher as the dominant trainer in the modern Cup. The trifecta is a first. Whether the ownership link to King Charles adds lasting interest will depend on how the horse campaigns next season. For 3 November the verified outcome is Point of Law first, Zahrann second, Juja Kibo third, all trained by Ciaron Maher, with Ethan Brown in the saddle.