As the 2025 Melbourne Cup approaches, RacingOnline.com takes a look at star jockey Mark Zahra’s achievements on the first Tuesday in November.
Mark Zahra is one of the most in-demand jockeys in the country having won 32 Group 1 races, but how many times has he actually won the Melbourne Cup?
Mark Zahra has ridden in six Melbourne Cup’s, and got his crowning moment in 2022 when partnering the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Gold Trip to victory.
Mark Zahra made the bold decision not to ride Gold Trip but to jump on Without A Fight for 2023, and the risk paid off. Not only did he manage to win his second Melbourne Cup in a row, but he also achieved the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double, which had not been done since 2001 when Ethereal secured the double.
Mark Zahra Recent Melbourne Cup Rides
| Year | Placing | Horse | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Odds | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6/23 | Circle of Fire | Ciaron Maher | 23 | 54.5kg | $21 | 2.71L |
| 2023 | 1/22 | Without A Fight | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 16 | 56.5kg | $8.50 | – |
| 2022 | 1/22 | Gold Trip | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 13 | 57.5kg | $21 | – |
| 2020 | 7/23 | Verry Elleegant | Chris Waller | 15 | 55.5kg | $10 | 3.85L |
| 2019 | 19/24 | Southern France | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 14 | 55.5kg | $26 | 6.55L |
| 2018 | 10/24 | Ventura Storm | David Hayes | 7 | 54kg | $31 | 11L |
Who will Mark Zahra ride in the 2025 Melbourne Cup?
Mark Zahra will ride the Joseph O’Brien-trained international raider Al Riffa in the 2025 Melbourne Cup.
1
Al Riffa
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB)
- Dam: Love On My Mind (IRE)
Al Riffa 2025 Melbourne Cup Betting Odds
Career stats for Al Riffa
- Career: 15:5-5-1
- Flemington: 0:0-0-0
- Distance: 0:0-0-0
- Wet: 7:2-2-0
- Dry/Syn: 8:3-3-1
- Group and Listed: 13:4-4-1
- Win %: 33%
- Place %: 73%
2025 Melbourne Cup Field
1. Al Riffa (19)
- T: Joseph O’Brien
- J: Mark Zahra
- W: 59kg
- F: 210x3x4211
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB)
- Dam: Love On My Mind (IRE)
2. Buckaroo (12)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Craig Williams
- W: 57kg
- F: 9x970x3232
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Roheryn (IRE)
3. Arapaho (15)
- T: Bjorn Baker
- J: Rachel King
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 5241×36408
- Age: 9YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Lope De Vega (IRE)
- Dam: Alzubra (GB)
4. Vauban (2)
- T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
- J: Blake Shinn
- W: 56.5kg
- F: 0x130x3650
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galiway (GB)
- Dam: Waldfest (GB)
5. Chevalier Rose (5)
- T: Hisashi Shimizu
- J: Damian Lane
- W: 55.5kg
- F: x11x070x0x
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Deep Impact (JPN)
- Dam: Viane Rose (FR)
6. Presage Nocturne (9)
- T: Alessandro Botti
- J: Stephane Pasquier
- W: 55.5kg
- F: 71x4x13x34
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Wootton Bassett (GB)
- Dam: Kyurem (IRE)
7. Middle Earth (13)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Ethan Brown
- W: 54.5kg
- F: x159x50903
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Roaring Lion (USA)
- Dam: Roheryn (IRE)
8. Meydaan (22)
- T: Simon & Ed Crisford
- J: James McDonald
- W: 54kg
- F: 47×5205239
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Frankel (GB)
- Dam: Nezwaah (GB)
9. Absurde (4)
- T: Willie Mullins
- J: Kerrin McEvoy
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 5x3132x3x7
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Incroyable (USA)
10. Flatten The Curve (17)
- T: Henk Grewe
- J: Thore Hammer Hansen
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 011x11411x
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Zarak (FR)
- Dam: Lailoma (FR)
11. Land Legend (16)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Joao Moreira
- W: 53.5kg
- F: x768x39500
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Landikusic (IRE)
12. Smokin’ Romans (11)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Ben Melham
- W: 53.5kg
- F: 0310×72948
- Age: 9YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Ghibellines
- Dam: Inferno (NZ)
13. Changingoftheguard (24)
- T: Kris Lees
- J: Tim Clark
- W: 53kg
- F: x742x82106
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Galileo (IRE)
- Dam: Lady Lara (IRE)
14. Half Yours (8)
- T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy
- J: Jamie Melham
- W: 53kg
- F: x211215141
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: St Jean (IRE)
- Dam: La Gazelle
15. More Felons (23)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Tommy Berry
- W: 53kg
- F: 50x12x0944
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Churchill (IRE)
- Dam: Pivotalia (IRE)
16. Onesmoothoperator (6)
- T: Brian Ellison
- J: Harry Coffey
- W: 53kg
- F: 5735x840x1
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Bay or Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Dialed In (USA)
- Dam: Sueno D’Oro (USA)
17. Furthur (7)
- T: Andrew Balding
- J: Michael Dee
- W: 52kg
- F: 72×152516
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Waldgeist (GB)
- Dam: Danamight (IRE)
18. Parchment Party (3)
- T: William Mott
- J: John Velazquez
- W: 52kg
- F: 5x59231x1x
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Horse
- Sire: Constitution (USA)
- Dam: Life Well Lived (USA)
19. Athabascan (1)
- T: John O’Shea & Tom Charlton
- J: Declan Bates
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 82959×0002
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Almanzor (FR)
- Dam: Alzubra (GB)
20. Goodie Two Shoes (20)
- T: Joseph O’Brien
- J: Wayne Lordan
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 57x331113x
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Fits Like a Glove (IRE)
21. River Of Stars (14)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Beau Mertens
- W: 51.5kg
- F: 42x73x7802
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)
- Dam: Amazone (GER)
22. Royal Supremacy (21)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Robbie Dolan
- W: 51kg
- F: 32×0011215
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Make Believe (GB)
- Dam: Adelasia (IRE)
23. Torranzino (18)
- T: Paul Preusker
- J: Celine Gaudray
- W: 51kg
- F: 4212×80821
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Tarzino (NZ)
- Dam: Goldilicious (NZ)
