'We got it terribly wrong': How Knight's Choice went from a failed miler to shock Melbourne Cup winner
Just over a year ago, Knight's Choice finished well behind the pack in the Golden Eagle over 1500 metres at Rosehill, leaving the horse's career at a crossroads.
Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon and the five-year-old produced the most unlikely of victories, edging out an overseas stayer to win the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The transformation from a failed miler to an elite-level stayer didn't come easily and there were "plenty of disagreements" along the way between trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon, who took out her second Cup after winning it in 2001 with Ethereal.
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Speaking after the $8.5 million feature at Flemington, co-trainer John Symons admitted he never thought the gelding had the capability to reach the pinnacle of the sport in this country, especially after last year's setback.
Robbie Dolan, Sheila Laxon and John Symons celebrate the 2024 Melbourne Cup. Getty
"I expected to get a miler ... given the speed horse that he is, I expected him to be a 1600m horse," he told media.
"We went down that path and obviously we won the Winx Guineas up on the Sunny Coast and then this time last year, we took him to Sydney thinking he was a miler.
"Unfortunately we went to the Golden Eagle and realised that we got it terribly wrong. It was only a mile race and at that high level, he just can't maintain that sprint.
"At this high level, we got it wrong and we realised after two runs in Sydney that he just needs further. Then we realised that we really had a stayer on our hands.
"Sheila's wealth of experience is huge. We love training away from the racecourse - we work on the European thing of just getting the horse fit.
"We don't always agree, we have a few disagreements along the way. It was a plan 12 months out, it wasn't a spur of the moment or a hope ... we had the belief."
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Knight's Choice came out of sprinting and mile-distance pedigree, sired by Extreme Choice to the dam Midnight Pearl, meaning it was never expected to stay.
But after plenty of fine-tuning, Laxon was glad to see it all pay off on the grand stage.
"It was great to see that training come to the fore," she said.
"When you've got a horse that sprints - if you can train them to relax [it works]. If he switches off and goes to sleep and saves all that energy, he can outsprint the stayers.
"Don't pull, don't expend any energy at all, but have that brilliant sprinting finish and there you go - easy peasy."
Robbie Dolan kisses the trophy with trainer Sheila Laxon by his side. Getty
It was an emotional day for all involved, including Irish-born jockey Robbie Dolan, who was surprised by his father in the lead-up to the race.
And for the veteran trainers, it was the culmination of years of tireless work.
"It's so special to go to a yearling sale and buy a horse for $85,000 and nurture him and come through to this pinnacle," Symons said.
"What can you say? It's a dream come true."