A host of factors are worth considering when deciding which Melbourne Cup runners are worth backing each year, but among the most important is the jockey guiding them around the course. On this page, you’ll find details of the previous Melbourne Cup winning jockeys and our short profiles of the current crop of riders. This info will help you determine which 2024 Melbourne Cup jockeys you want to support.
Melbourne Cup Winning Jockeys
Backing a horse ridden by one a previous Melbourne Cup winning jockey makes a lot of sense. It gives you the certainty that the person on board your runner definitely has what it takes to win the famous race. The table below lists are the most recent 10 Melbourne Cup winning jockeys.
| Melbourne Cup Year | Jockey | Horse |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mark Zahra | Without A Fight |
| 2022 | Mark Zahra | Gold Trip |
| 2021 | James McDonald | Verry Elleegant |
| 2020 | Jye McNeil | Twilight Payment |
| 2019 | Craig Williams | Vow And Declare |
| 2018 | Kerrin McEvoy | Cross Counter |
| 2017 | Corey Brown | Rekindling |
| 2016 | Kerrin McEvoy | Almandin |
| 2015 | Michelle Payne | Prince of Penzance |
| 2014 | Ryan Moore | Protectionist |
Melbourne Cup 2024 Jockey Profiles
Mark Zahra Melbourne Cup Profile – 2 Cup Wins
Mark Zahra cemented his legacy when he won the 2023 Melbourne Cup on Without a Fight. The experienced Aussie became just the ninth jockey to ride back-to-back the Cup winners. With over 1,300 winners to his name and a chance at horse racing history up for grabs, he is definitely a Jockey to consider when making your Melbourne Cup 2024 picks.
James McDonald Melbourne Cup Profile – 1 Cup Win
James McDonald won his first Melbourne Cup in 2021 on Verry Elleegant. The Kiwi then went on to win both the Cox Plate and Caulfield Stakes in 2022 onboard Anamoe. McDonald is already a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, so whichever horse he rides will have a great chance of winning the 2024 Melbourne.
Craig Williams Melbourne Cup Profile – 1 Cup Win
Riding since 1993, Craig Williams has spent time in England and is a very versatile jockey. He won the Melbourne Cup in 2019 aboard Vow And Declare and will undoubtedly be a sought after rider if he rides in the Melbourne Cup 2024.
Jamie Kah Melbourne Cup Profile
Kah has now ridden well over 1,000 winners, putting her among the most experienced jockeys on the Australian racing scene. Unfortunately, she suffered a serious injury after a fall at Flemington in March 2023. Kah made her return to racing at Randwick in August 2023 and will likely ride in the 2024 Melbourne Cup.
Kerrin McEvoy Melbourne Cup Profile – 3 Cup Wins
Kerrin McEvoy is a true Melbourn Cup veteran. The Australian jockey has the big race an astonishing three times already. After victories in 2000, 2016 and 2018, he’s now looking to tie for the leading rider in the history of the race. He came close last year, guiding Ashrun to fourth place. If you’re looking for a jockey who knows how to win the big race, McEvoy is the rider for you.
Jye McNeil Melbourne Cup Profile – 1 Cup Win
Having only been riding since 2011, you could argue McNeil’s best days are still to come. He won his first Melbourne Cup in 2020 on Twilight Payment, a massive achievement given his age at the time. As a Victoria man, McNeil will have a home advantage and has already proven he knows how to win at Flemington
Hugh Bowman Melbourne Cup Profile
The rider from New South Wales has ridden an incredible 100 Group 1 winners. The experienced jockey has landed four Cox Plates, but a Melbourne Cup win still eludes him. Despite his age, you shouldn’t discount Bowman if he rides in the Melbourne Cup 2024, as he’ll always get the best out of his horse.
Other Jockeys who perform well in races like as the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup are also worth considering. These Melbourne Cup warm-up contests can provide valuable insight into which jockeys are in form when arriving at Flemington for the big race.
Melbourne Cup Jockey Records
Plenty of Melbourne Cup jockeys have hit the headlines in the past. Both Bobby Lewis and Harry White did so by riding four winners each, while the first female jockey to ride in the race was Michelle Payne. The youngest of the Melbourne Cup jockeys in history was Peter St. Albans. He was aged only 12 years, 11 months and 23 days incredibly!
Frank Reys was the only Aboriginal jockey to take part in the race, while Glen Boss added his name to the history books by riding the winner on three straight occasions aboard the brilliant Makybe Diva in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Discover their compelling stories and dedication to horse racing at the link below.
Female Melbourne Cup Jockeys
Horse racing is one sport where female jockeys can compete on a level playing field against their male counterparts, and recent times have seen more and more female Melbourne Cup jockeys, and with increasing levels of success too.
Jamie Kah and Michelle Payne, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 2015, are two of the best around. Linda Meech is also a Group 1 winner in the saddle while jockey Rachel King is another name we may see in the final field, having established herself on the Australian racing circuit since coming over from the UK and recording her first big win on Maid Of Heaven in the 2018 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
Melbourne Cup Jockeys FAQ
Your top questions answered about Melbourne Cup jockeys.
Bobby Lewis and Harry White each rode 4 Melbourne Cup winners and each is considered a racing great. Lewis won in 1902, 1915, 1919 and 1927 while White won in Melbourne in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.
Many female jockeys are now making their mark on the sport. Jamie Kah, who’s won Australian Cup and Makybe Diva Stakes, is the pick of the current crop down under. Kah is likely to highly ride in the Melbourne Cup 2024.
Yes, Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup when she rode Prince of Penzance to victory in 2015. Jamie Kah and Rachel King both rode in the recent Melbourne Cups and look the most likely female jockeys to join Payne in the Melbourne Cup record books.
The winning jockey takes home 5% of the Melbourne Cup prize money, as well as a race riding fee. This fee will be agreed between a jockey and the horses owner.
