The remarkable trifecta achieved by Ciaron Maher was not the only historic aspect of this year’s 2026 Melbourne Cup, as the horse that secured his second victory in the esteemed race also set a new benchmark.
Point Of Law has been recognised as the most lightly-raced winner of the modern Melbourne Cup, having claimed the $10 million Group 1 at Flemington on just his sixth start.
Martini-Henry, the winner of the 1883 Melbourne Cup at his second start, holds the record for the most inexperienced winner in the race’s 166-year history, but no horse with fewer starts than Point Of Law has won since the Melbourne Cup’s internationalisation in 1993.
The only other horse to have competed in the 3200-metre contest with fewer starts was Tiger Moth, who finished as the runner-up at his fifth start in 2020.
Maher, who had seven horses competing in the 2026 Melbourne Cup, indicated that Point Of Law has embraced his new environment in Australia and believes the Melbourne Cup win could be the first of many significant victories.
“Point Of Law has just thrived,” Maher stated.
“I think the world’s his oyster, really. He’s obviously very talented, he’s won that very well and he’s a European three-year-old still.
“I think he’s got a bright future, a big engine and should be a lot of fun.”
Point Of Law’s victory in the 2026 Melbourne Cup came 206 days after his debut appearance under His Majesty The King’s royal colours, a 2011-metre 3YO novice race at Yarmouth in Great Britain, where he finished second.
He then won a three-year-old maiden over the same distance at Newbury on May 15, followed by a fourth-place finish in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase (2846m) at Royal Ascot in June.
The son of Frankel and the Deep Impact mare Portfolio had one more start in the UK, winning the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy (2615m) at Newmarket on July 9, after which he was acquired by Maher for stable clients.
He was unable to secure a start in the Caulfield Cup, for which he was listed as third emergency, and made his Australian debut in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), which he won convincingly from Small Fry.
Point Of Law joins Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010), and Dunaden (2011) as horses to have completed the Geelong Cup/Melbourne Cup double this century and became the first favourite to win the Melbourne Cup since Fiorente in 2013.
The $7 top pick achieved victory by 3-3/4 lengths from Zahrann ($26), who finished a short-half-head ahead of Juja Kibo ($14).
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