The 2023 Melbourne Cup saw Mark Zahra make it two Melbourne Cup wins in as many years, riding Without A Fight to a dominant victory, ahead of Soulcombe. It meant Zahra became the first jockey to secure back-to-back Melbourne Cups since Glen Boss on Makybe Diva nearly 20 years ago.
The victory also gave Without A Fight a prominent place in the record books as the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double.
Find out where your Melbourne Cup horse finished, plus how the Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban and last year’s winner Gold Trip both got on.
Melbourne Cup finishing order – Who won Melbourne Cup 2023?
| Position | Horse | Jockey | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Without A Fight | Mark Zahra | $8 |
| 2nd | Soulcombe | Joao Moreira | $9.50 |
| 3rd | Sheraz | Beau Mertens | $151 |
| 4 | Ashrun | Kerrin McEvoy | $26 |
| 5 | Daqiansweet Junior | Daniel Stackhouse | $51 |
| 6 | Interpretation | Teodore Nugent | $41 |
| 7 | Absurde | Zac Purton | $9 |
| 8 | True Marvel | Ben E Thompson | $151 |
| 9 | Vow And Declare | Billy Egan | $31 |
| 10 | Military Mission | Rachel King | $26 |
| 11 | Okita Soushi | Dylan Gibbons | $101 |
| 12 | More Felons | Jamie Kah | $26 |
| 13 | Lastotchka | Craig A Williams | $26 |
| 14 | Vauban | Ryan Moore | $5,50 fav |
| 15 | Future History | Hollie Doyle | $18 |
| 16 | Breakup | Kohei Matsuyama | $18 |
| 17 | Gold Trip | James McDonald | $6.50 |
| 18 | Virtuous Circle | Craig Newitt | $151 |
| 19 | Serpentine | Jye McNeil | $41 |
| 20 | Kalapour | Zac Lloyd | $41 |
| 21 | alenqeur | Damien Oliver | $21 |
| 22 | Magical Lagoon | Mark Du Plessis | $101 |
| Pulled up | Right You Are | John Allen | $31 |
2023 Melbourne Cup results and stats
- Melbourne Cup winner: Without A Fight
- Trifecta:
- 1st: Without A Fight
- 2nd: Soulcombe
- 3rd: Sheraz
- Winning margin: 2¼ lengths
- Winning weight: 55.5kg
- Winning barrier: 16
- Winning trainers: Anthony and Sam Freedman
- Winning jockey: Mark Zahra
Melbourne Cup 2023 summary
As always, the Melbourne Cup took place at Flemington racecourse, with forecasts of stormy weather casting some uncertainty over the exact conditions the field would face. In the end, the rain stayed away, as Without A Fight came home over two lengths clear of his nearest rival. The favourite Vauban briefly took the lead around 300 metres from home, but the majority of the field soon pulled past him as he eventually finished in a distant 14th place.
Soulcombe finished in second despite never really threatening the winner, while Sheraz provided arguably the biggest shock by finishing third with odds of $151.
The result justified Mark Zahra’s decision to ride Without A Fight despite winning the race 12 months earlier on Gold Trip. Zahra reflected on his latest Melbourne Cup triumph, saying, “The stars aligned for Gold Trip last year and aligned for [Without A Fight] this year. Just a few things and the way he won the Caulfield Cup, I was confident he would run it. To change horses and get a little bit of flak about my choice – they were giving it to me here down the race today – and for it to pay off, it is justified.”
Find more on the 2022 race and all the recent Melbourne Cup winners.
