Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jamie Melham suspended for 30 meetings for riding incident on Flemington undercard

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jamie Melham has been banned for 30 meetings for a riding incident on the Flemington undercard last week.

Melham, who became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup on Half Yours last Tuesday, pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge.

The incident came two races after the Melbourne Cup, with Melham allowing her mount Fancify to shift out near the furlong marker when not sufficiently clear of She's Got Pizzazz in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.

She's Got Pizzazz stumbled and unseated her rider Blake Shinn, who was taken to hospital and found to have broken the tibia and fibula in his left leg.

In assessing the penalty, Racing Victoria stewards took into account Melham’s guilty plea and good record, along with the Group 3 status of the race.

Melham will be able to ride at Caulfield on Saturday before her suspension, which runs from November 16 to December 17.

Eye-catching Carnival attendance stats

The four major Spring Carnival days at Flemington attracted a total crowd of 286,746 racegoers and a notable percentage were among the younger demographic.

It has been revealed that 53 per cent of the general admission tickets sold across the four days were bought by people under the age of 35, an increase of 14 per cent from last year.

A noticeably young crowd defied the weather to enjoy the final day of the Melbourne Cup CarnivalCredit: Jay Town/Racing Photos

Victoria Racing Club ceo Kylie Rogers said: “The success of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival has emphatically demonstrated that racing is back and thriving. With our largest crowd since 2018, record-breaking wagering turnover on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, and significant uplift in broadcast figures, the momentum and energy throughout the week was infectious.

“What's particularly exciting is the significant growth in younger audiences. This Carnival has demonstrated that racing continues to captivate a diverse range of audiences."

Read more . . .

'Nothing compares to this feeling' - Jamie Melham seals historic Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Half Yours 

There was the Covid scandal and an induced coma but Jamie Melham can now be remembered first and foremost as a Melbourne Cup winner 

Who is Jamie Melham? A lookback at the rollercoaster career of a rider making history in Australia 

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