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How Gold Trip jockey drank heavily and watched ‘in the depths of despair’ at the Melbourne Cup a year ago after the Airbnb party scandal – before dominating today with a perfect race
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Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Mark Zahra has revealed how he drank heavily in the depths of despair after being suspended and missing out on the Cup-winning ride a year ago.
Zahra missed sending 2021 Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant to victory after being suspended for three months over the infamous AirBNB Covid party scandal.
Instead, he watched the race from Byron Bay — and admits he was told he drank too much while drowning his sorrows.
But he redeemed himself on Tuesday when he led Gold Trip to victory in Australia’s biggest race.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Mark Zahra has revealed how he drank heavily and into the depths of despair after being suspended and missing the 2021 Cup winning ride
“Last year around this time in Byron Bay, I was told I had had too much to drink and… [Verry Elleegant] could have been my ride,” he admitted after the win.
‘Redemption day today. Just a miracle. 12 months ago I felt terrible and probably drank myself out and [my wife] said, “don’t drink too much”.
“I said, ‘What do you want me to do? My horse just won the Melbourne Cup!”
“For today, to come today – it’s unbelievable.”
Zahra was banned for three months for lying to flight attendants about being at an unauthorized party in Victoria’s Mornington Pensinsula with several other jockeys.
He was the fifth jockey to be banned for violating Covid restrictions at the party in August 2021, which cost him his ride on Verry Elleegant in Flemington.
More to come