Rachel King targets Melbourne Cup glory on So You Are

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 04:02 · Archive

British-born jockey Rachel King will ride So You Are in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday, calling it her best chance yet at victory.

Rachel King, a British-born jockey, will ride the Bjorn Baker-trained stayer So You Are in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday. The race carries a purse of $10.2 million and is the world's richest handicap.

This is King's fourth start in the Melbourne Cup. Her best previous result was a tenth-place finish on Military Mission last year. With So You Are among the favourites, King said she believed this represented her best opportunity to finish in the money. 'Since I first rode in the Cup, I've really wanted to just target this race every year and try to at least have a ride in it,' she said at a pre-race event on Monday. 'Each year I feel like I've had a slightly better chance, and this is definitely the best chance I've had over the years.'

If successful, King would become the third woman to win the Melbourne Cup. Michelle Payne achieved the breakthrough a decade earlier, and Jamie Melham won on Half Yours in 2025. King, aged 36, downplayed the significance of potentially joining their ranks, saying that female jockeys had proven they operated on a 'level playing field' with their male counterparts. 'It's something racing should be really proud of, and we continue to go out there every year and sort of prove ourselves,' she said.

Rachel King targets Melbourne Cup glory on So You Are — Image: The West Australian

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How it is being reported

'Level playing field': King's best chance at Cup gloryRachel King has declared So You Are her best shot yet at a maiden Melbourne Cup victory, but won't buy into talk about creating more history for female jockeys.The West Australian · 2 Nov, 03:24
'Level playing field': King's best chance at Cup gloryRachel King has declared So You Are her best shot yet at a maiden Melbourne Cup victory, but won't buy into talk about creating more history for female jockeys.Perth Now · 2 Nov, 03:24

In this story: Rachel King · So You Are · Bjorn Baker · Melbourne Cup · Flemington · Michelle Payne · Jamie Melham

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