Footy stars earn a huge $1.1 million reward from the Melbourne Cup after their horse finished second at Flemington… but they could have won even more!
- Richmond legends won the Melbourne Cup comfortably
- Jack Riewoldt owns Soulcombe, which is in second place
- He took home a $1.1 million share on Tuesday
Jack Riewoldt and his old Richmond teammates enjoyed a successful day at the races after taking a big win at Flemington.
Riewoldt, who retired from the AFL at the end of the season, is part of a racing syndicate called Punt Road End, whose star performer is the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe.
Tom Lynch, Liam Baker, Nathan Broad and Jack Graham are also part of the group.
Soulcombe didn’t quite take the top prize, which went to Without A Fight in Tuesday’s showpiece Melbourne Cup, but the five-year-old did manage to take home second place.
Second place comes with a $1.1 million jackpot for the owners, and Riewoldt – a three-time premiership winner with the Tigers – said he was more nervous on cup morning than on grand final day.
Footy stars won a major prize at the Melbourne Cup in Flemington on Tuesday
Jack Riewoldt is part of a syndicate that owns the British horse Soulcombe
“You look at the run and we were probably running there on the backs of some horses and you might ask, ‘What if?’ Riewoldt told Racing.com.
“For us, as a smaller syndicate, the Punt Rd End boys, to be here we have played on one of the biggest stages on the Australian sporting calendar and to be here again on another and a live runner and a Zo a well-run runner is so exciting.”
Soulcombe, a British horse, won three times on home soil in 2022 and won the Queen’s Cup at Flemington last year. The horse also finished seventh in the Caulfield Cup last month.
The Tigers heroes could have had an even more lucrative day had Soulcombe not had a slow start at Flemington.
The horse came second in the big race and won its owner a huge prize of $1.1 million
Their mount has struggled to come out of the gate firing but has shown undeniable pace, with many arguing Soulcombe should have taken top spot on Tuesday.
“Racing is probably a bit different (to footy) because we can’t have any influence on it, just like I can’t go to Soulcombe and whisper in his ear,” Riewoldt added.
‘Footy we can actually make an impact and try to get a kick… while we sit back in the lap of Chris Waller, Joao Moreira, Soulcombe and the racing gods.’