If Jamie Melham had taken her mother’s advice during her long recovery from a serious fall, she may never have achieved one of racing’s most historic doubles.

Melham steered Half Yours to victories in both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, becoming the first woman to complete the Spring Cups double and only the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup at all, alongside Michelle Payne.

Her career nearly ended in March 2023, when she suffered life-threatening injuries after a fall at Flemington. During her rehabilitation, her mother urged her to walk away from the sport.

“My mum wanted me to retire, and I couldn’t understand it until I saw the photo of myself in hospital,” Melham said.

“I don’t remember anything from the fall. All I wanted was to get back and to be myself again.”

She admitted the nerves leading into the Caulfield Cup were stronger than before the Melbourne Cup.

“Once the Caulfield Cup was done, I felt lighter. I wasn’t nervous on Cup Day,” she said.

“Tony and Calvin just said, ‘go have fun’. That was the perfect advice.”

Melham has made history before—she was the first woman to be Melbourne’s metropolitan premiership champion, and the first to ride 100 Melbourne metro winners in a season.

But the magnitude of the Cups double is still sinking in.

“My parents were in tears. I think most of us were. It’s emotional because it means everything.”

The night after the Cup, she tried to sleep—but couldn’t stay down for long.

“I woke up at 2am and watched the replay 60 or 70 times. You dream about the Cup, but nothing prepares you for living it.”

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