There will be no repeat of last year’s Melbourne Cup fairytale for Brisbane-based Irish jockey Robbie Dolan—at least not on the same horse.
Surprise 2024 Cup winner Knight’s Choice was recently ruled out for the spring after after a highly infectious equine respiratory disease known as strangles was discovered at the gelding’s stables in Mount Macedon in Victoria.
While co-trainer Sheila Laxon could not confirm if the Cup winner had actually contracted strangles most of his stablemates had, which pulled an immediate handbrake on their plans for a Flemington defence in 2025.
“Yeah, definitely out,” a disappointed Laxon declared on SEN radio late last month.
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The news also left 29-year-old Dolan without a mount for this year’s Cup and scrambling for a plan B.
Fortunately he picked up the ride on the Ciaron Maher-trained Royal Supremacy which won the Group 1 Metropolitan at Randwick earlier this month and is now amongst the top fancies for Saturday’s $5 million Caulfield Cup.
If things go to plan at Caulfield, Royal Supremacy will then head towards the 2025 Melbourne Cup where the gelding is currently listed as a $21 chance with Sportsbet.
“The dream’s always alive, you never know what can happen in this game,” Dolan told Racenet.
Dolan should certainly know after piloting a $91 long shot to Cup glory just 12 months ago.
The 2025 Melbourne Cup will be run at Flemington on Tuesday 4 November.