New favourite to win Melbourne Cup after stunning Aussie debut
Updated . First published at
Point Of Law has taken out the Geelong Cup on his Australian debut and can now head to the Lexus Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November with an exemption, bolting straight into favouritism for the country’s most famous race.
The lightly-raced colt finished clear of fellow overseas raiders Small Fry and Omni Man and receives a golden ticket to the race that stops the nation.
Point Of Law wins the Geelong Cup. Getty
The two Joseph O’Brien-trained gallopers produced strong late runs, but it wasn’t enough to reel in the eventual $6 victor in the Group 3 contest.
Ethan Brown rode the winner home over the 2400m trip for trainer Ciaron Maher in just the fifth start of the talented young horse’s career.
After starting his career overseas, Point Of Law has relocated to Australian shores and linked up with Maher, who is regarded as one of the country’s elite trainers.
Point Of Law’s record now improves to three wins and a placing from five runs.
The three-year-old joins Defiantly, Mr Monaco, Zakouma and Shockletz as horses to earn an exemption for the $10 million feature at Flemington next month.
“I’m thrilled, it’s eluded me this race, I’ve ran second a number of times,” Maher told Racing.com in the moments after the victory.
“It’s great to win it and great to win it with such a progressive horse … absolutely phenomenal. He was well-credentialled in Europe, very lightly-raced.
“Hopefully he pulls up well, because it looks like he’d run two miles [at the Cup].”
Prior to the win in his Australian debut against quality company, Point Of Law was 31st on the Melbourne Cup order of entry list, but now earns an automatic spot.
