Sliding doors moment wins Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double

Jamie Melham’s remarkable Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup double will go down in racing history — but it nearly never happened.

Before her partnership with Half Yours, it was Ashley Morgan who steered the gelding to key early victories. But Morgan’s commitment to ride in The Everest opened the door for Melham.

“It’s funny how these things work,” Tony McEvoy said.

“If Morgan wasn’t booked for The Everest, things might have played out completely differently.”

Even then, fate intervened again when Half Yours gained a late berth in the Naturalism Stakes, a race that proved critical in gaining entry to the Caulfield Cup.

“That win changed everything,” McEvoy said.

From there, momentum carried Half Yours through to Melbourne Cup glory.

Now the stable is looking abroad — Royal Ascot, Japan, even another spring.

“He’s a traveller. The international races are very much on the table,” McEvoy said.

He also hopes the win encourages support for domestic staying bloodlines.

“We can produce these horses — we just need to back our own system.”

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