The Melbourne Cup, a race that once felt worlds apart for Ethan Brown during his formative years in Darwin, became an even more distant prospect in recent times.
Not long ago, Brown contemplated concluding his riding career, which began in the Northern Territory before his relocation to Victoria at the age of 15.
The 27-year-old jockey experienced a significant dip in motivation and self-belief regarding his physical condition following a life-altering fall at Flemington on March 2023. After a brief comeback later that year, he opted for an extended break of several months to fully recuperate.
His return to the racing circuit occurred in January 2024.
Remarkably, in less than three years, Brown has ascended to the ranks of Australia’s elite riders, now holding the prestigious title of Melbourne Cup winner. This achievement came aboard Point Of Law, who delivered a dominant 3-3/4-length victory in the $10 million Group 1 classic over 3200 metres at Flemington.
“Don’t wake me up,” Brown exclaimed upon returning to the mounting yard with Point Of Law.
“I’m lost for words. I mean, where do you start?
“This is the race that we all try and win. To be in a position at such a young age to do so, I mean, it’s just indescribable.”
The severe fall, which took place during the Australian Guineas when Brown was riding Maximillius, resulted in a lacerated liver, a severed artery, kidney damage, internal bleeding, and hairline fractures across three vertebrae in his lower back. He lost over five litres of blood in the incident.
Brown, who had previously struggled with weight issues that led to an earlier, voluntary break from the sport, considered pursuing training while recovering. However, he was talked out of it by Ciaron Maher, the trainer of his Melbourne Cup-winning horse.
“As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and there were a lot of speed bumps from that fall to get it to my comeback. It was very hard at times,” Brown shared.
“At one stage, I didn’t think I was going to come back. I didn’t think it would be worth it.
“But I had a slow burn and woke up one morning and thought I needed to get back riding and it’s all led to this moment now. I’ve just got to pinch myself.”
Since his return to racing, Brown has amassed nine Group 1 wins from his 14 successes, with all but one – the Moir Stakes victory for Gavin Bedggood’s Mornington Glory – being under the training of Maher. He has ridden more winners in Victoria this season than any other jockey, tallying 38 wins, and currently sits third in the metropolitan jockey premiership with 15 wins, seven behind leader Blake Shinn.
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