- Irish Hoop lived a childhood dream in Flemington
- His horse scored 100-1 with some bookmakers
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan has revealed he had to ask NRL legend Billy Slater if he won the great race after his thrilling ride at Knight’s Choice on Tuesday.
An 80-1 shot, Knight’s Choice won by a nose ahead of trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon of Japanese raider Warp Speed at Flemington on Tuesday.
Ciaron Maher-trained Okita Soushi was third, while global racing giant Godolphin’s Zardozi was fourth.
The finish was so close that Dolan wasn’t sure if he had taken credit immediately after passing the post – and learned this from the NRL great, who interviewed mounted jockeys immediately after their races.
“Yeah, it felt like a lifetime of hanging out with Billy Slater to see if I won or not,” Dolan revealed.
‘I said, “Did I win or not?”
Dolan said Slater replied, “Mate, do you have a loan?”
The Irish hooper was over the moon when it was confirmed he had won the biggest prize in Australian racing.
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan was unsure if he had won the Melbourne Cup after his thrilling ride on Knight’s Choice on Tuesday
Dolan says he asked NRL legend Billy Slater if he could confirm the result after his horse was in a photo finish with Warp Speed
“It’s unbelievable,” Dolan said. ‘I can’t believe it. I don’t even know what to say…
‘I’ve seen every Melbourne Cup in the last 40 years. I thought my best bet was to let him stay for the trip and hopefully he can run home and do the fast sections he can on a good track and he’s proven everyone wrong.”
Irish expat Dolan – from County Kildare, west of Dublin – arrived in Australia eight years ago and fell in love with the country.
The 28-year-old’s stunning ride has strengthened his relationship with his adopted home.
“I was young and immature and I probably needed to go somewhere to expand my experience,” Dolan said of his move to the other side of the world.
‘I was planning to come for a year, I’ve been here for eight years and now I’ve won the Melbourne Cup.
Dolan (pictured with his wife, daughter and father after winning the Cup) moved to Australia in 2016 looking for a fresh start due to a lack of opportunities as an apprentice jockey in Ireland
Dolan is tipped to take home just over $220,000, plus a miniature Melbourne Cup trophy worth $10,000
“I probably don’t see myself going home anytime soon.”
Dolan was born into racing. His father Bobby worked in Ireland for 26 years for double cup-winning trainer Dermot Weld.
But he had not ridden a horse until his teens and had a strained relationship with the sport, at one point turning to music as a possible new career.
Appearing on The Voice in 2022, the talented singer was also brought in to sing on a Cup-themed cruise ship, where a chance meeting with trainer Sheila Laxon spawned a relationship that ultimately paid huge dividends.
Dolan approached Laxon, who became the first female trainer to win the Cup with Ethereal in 2001, and the rest is history.
“Sheila was there with the Melbourne Cup. I met her and took a picture with her,” Dolan said.
‘Now we’ve won the bloody Melbourne Cup. It has to be a movie…definitely.”