Horse racing-Without A Fight wins Melbourne Cup as jockey Zahra triumphs again

MELBOURNE :Without A Fight won the 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday, with jockey Mark Zahra celebrating back-to-back triumphs in Australia's most prestigious race.

Zahra, who rode Gold Trip for his first Cup win last year, steered the seven-year-old gelding to the front after rounding the final turn and burned away to win by two lengths on a hot and blustery afternoon.

The win secured a rare double in Australian racing, with Zahra having ridden the horse to victory in the Caulfield Cup last month.

"Unbelievable. To the trainer's credit, he was an absolute gentleman for me today," said Zahra.

"He went to the rail, switched off. I just thought I'm going to stay here, they all made their moves, which opened it up for me and I was on a horse that you can just sit on.

"He's got an electric turn of foot and he just pulled me all the way to the line and it was all over."

Zahra shook his fist in triumph in the saddle and waved two fingers in a V-sign at the crowd, a gesture he later felt awkward about.

"I got up on the hinds and gave it the two fingers. I was thinking the two winners, I don't know what I was thinking, idiot," he said.

The father-and-son training duo of Anthony and Sam Freedman added another major piece of silverware to the family's trophy cabinet. Anthony's brother Lee Freedman won five Melbourne Cups from 1989-2005.

Without A Fight was rated a 7/1 chance by bookmakers just before the race.

"It's been a great race for the family, it's been a while between drinks and it's good to get another one," said Sam Freedman.

"An extraordinary ride, (Zahra) got him onto the rail from a wide gate, relaxed, switched him off, made a run."

Celebrated local trainer Chris Waller missed out on the win