A whole host of factors are worth considering when deciding which Melbourne Cup runners are worth backing each year, but among the most important has to be the jockey tasked with steering the horse to victory. Find details of the previous Melbourne Cup winning jockeys and check out the bios of the current crop, so you can figure out which 2023 Melbourne Cup jockeys to look out for or avoid.
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Melbourne Cup Winning Jockeys
Backing a horse ridden by one of the previous Melbourne Cup jockey winners makes alot of sense, as it gives you the certainty that the men or women on board your runners definitely have what it takes to win the famous race. Here are the most recent 10 Melbourne Cup winning jockeys:
- Melbourne Cup 2022 – Mark Zahra (Gold Trip)
- Melbourne Cup 2021 – James McDonald (Verry Elleegant)
- Melbourne Cup 2020 – Jye McNeil (Twilight Payment)
- Melbourne Cup 2019 – Craig Williams (Vow And Declare)
- Melbourne Cup 2018 – Kerrin McEvoy (Cross Counter)
- Melbourne Cup 2017 – Corey Brown (Rekindling)
- Melbourne Cup 2016 – Kerrin McEvoy (Almandin)
- Melbourne Cup 2015 – Michelle Payne (Prince Of Penzanze)
- Melbourne Cup 2014 – Ryan Moore (Protectionist)
- Melbourne Cup 2013 – Damien Oliver (Fiorente)
Mark Zahra Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – Without A Fight)
Mark Zahra added his name to the Melbourne Cup roll of honour in 2022 but he had been a successful and well-established jockey well before that, with over 1,300 winners to his name and his first Group 1 victory way back in 2006.
James McDonald Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – Gold Trip)
James McDonald rode the Melbourne Cup winner in 2021 and has since gone on to win both the Cox Plate and Caulfield Stakes in 2022 on board Anamoe. At just 31 years old, he’s one jockey who has a great chance of winning more Melbourne Cups.
Craig Williams Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – Lastotchka)
Riding since 1993, Williams has spent time in England and is a very versatile jockey. He won the Melbourne Cup in 2019 aboard Vow And Declare and will be a sought after rider once more if he rides in 2024.
Jamie Kah Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – More Felons)
Kah was snapped up by English trainer Charlie Fellowes for the 2020 Melbourne Cup, the pair finishing third. Having now ridden well over 1,000 winners, she is among the most experienced jockeys around.
Kerrin McEvoy Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – Ashrun)
McEvoy will turn 41 just before the next Melbourne Cup. Having won the race in 2000, 2016 and 2018 he now looks to tie for the leading rider in the history of the race.
Jye McNeil Melbourne Cup profile (2023 Melbourne Cup horse – Serpentine)
Having only been riding since 2011, McNeil’s best days are still to come. He won his first Melbourne Cup in 2020 and, as a Victoria man, knows his way around Flemington.
Hugh Bowman Melbourne Cup profile
The New South Wales man is approaching an incredible 100 Group 1 winners. Out of luck in 2020, the 40-year-old has landed four Cox Plates and should not consider it too late to win a Melbourne Cup.
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In the build-up to this race, jockeys also make their name by winning such races as the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup. Others may not reach the winner’s enclosure on the big day but are appreciated all the same. Michael Walker for example was placed not once but twice on the admirable Prince Of Arran.
Melbourne Cup jockeys who made history
Plenty of Melbourne Cup jockeys have hit the headlines in the past. Both Bobby Lewis and Harry White did so by riding four winners each, while the first female jockey to ride in the race was Michelle Payne.
The youngest of the Melbourne Cup jockeys in history was Peter St. Albans. He was aged only 12 years, 11 months and 23 days incredibly!
Frank Reys was the only Aboriginal jockey to take part in the race, while Glen Boss added his name to the history books by riding the winner on three straight occasions aboard the brilliant Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Discover their compelling stories and dedication to horse racing at the link below.
Female Melbourne Cup Jockeys
Horse racing is one sport where female jockeys can compete on a level playing field against their male counterparts, and recent times have seen more and more female Melbourne Cup jockeys, and with increasing levels of success too.
Jamie Kah and Michelle Payne, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 2015, are two of the best around. Linda Meech is also a Group 1 winner in the saddle while jockey Rachel King is another name we may see in the final field, having established herself on the Australian racing circuit since coming over from the UK and recording her first big win on Maid Of Heaven in the 2018 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
Melbourne Cup Jockeys FAQ
Your top questions answered about Melbourne Cup jockeys.
Bobby Lewis and Harry White each rode 4 Melbourne Cup winners and each is considered a racing great. Lewis won in 1902, 1915, 1919 and 1927 while White won in Melbourne in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.
Many are now making their mark in horse racing. One to have done so successfully at the top level is Jamie Kah, winner of the Australian Cup and Makybe Diva Stakes at the top level in the same year.
Yes, Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup when she rode Prince of Penzance to victory in 2015. Jamie Kah and Rachel King both rode in the 2022 Melbourne Cup and are the most likely female jockeys to try and join Michelle Payne in the Melbourne Cup record books.
As well as a race riding fee, the jockey takes home 5% of the prize money. That means the winner in 2024, Mark Zahra, received in excess of $200,000 for landing the big one.
Summary
To be a Melbourne Cup winner from the saddle takes skill and guts. Only the best can guide their horse successfully around Flemington on the biggest race day in Australia. These jockeys are some of the best in the world. For more information you can also look at the following pages:
