Without A Fight stormed home to complete a big-race double in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained runner won the Caulfield Cup on his previous run and followed up in style under Mark Zahra in the two-mile Group One.
Previously trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight finished 13th in the Melbourne Cup last year, but 12 months on, he was a clear-cut victor.
The Willie Mullins-trained Vauban was sent off favourite for the race and Ryan Moore appeared to have bagged a nice position on the inside rail, settling in fifth place as Serpentine – winner of the 2020 Derby but now trained in Australia – set out to make all.
Hollie Doyle, who was making her Melbourne Cup debut, raced prominently aboard Future History, but straightening up for home, the early pacesetters were starting to feel their efforts.
Ryan Moore switched Vauban out to challenge and he briefly looked to get his head in front two furlongs from home, only for his stablemate Absurde to swoop round his outside and grab the initiative.
However, Zahra was stoking up Without A Fight down the middle of the track and he hit the front a furlong out, fairly sprinting home to pull clear of another former British runner Soulcombe in second and Sheraz in third.
It's a win for the ages as WITHOUT A FIGHT takes out the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup!
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 7, 2023
📽 @10SportAU | #MelbourneCup pic.twitter.com/JEVLReYG8o
Absurde, who was ridden by Zac Purton, eventually came home seventh, while Vauban was 14th and Future History 15th. Joseph O'Brien's contender Okita Soushi never really figured and finished 11th.
"I thought Vauban was a little disappointing all round. He was beaten too far out for my liking," Mullins told www.racing.com.
"When I saw him six furlongs out with Ryan having to give him a little niggle, I thought, 'that's too far out for him to be niggling him'. He just flattened out and ran very disappointing.
"But there we are. That’s the nature of this game."
Moore said: "Obviously a disappointing run from him. Maybe he didn’t fire today, the winner was very good, and we didn’t get home today unfortunately."
Mullins said "I thought Absurde ran a cracker. He was in a position to win at one stage coming up the straight but didn't see it out."
Jockey Zac Purton added: "He travelled nicely, he presented at the right time, he just didn't run through the line. Anyway, he ran well, but not what we wanted."
Vauban has not won over hurdles since the 2022 Punchestown Festival but placed three times at the highest level last term, while Absurde has won one of his two runs over obstacles and Mullins will take stock before deciding on a return to the National Hunt sphere.
He said: "We will bring them back, see how they are. They are dual-purpose horses. If either of them had won they wouldn’t have jumped a hurdle again."
Mullins has won virtually every major prize in jumps racing but his multiple Australian raids have ended in disappointment, with Max Dynamite his best performer having finished second in 2015 and third in 2017 in the colours of Vauban’s owners Susannah and Rich Ricci.
Despite leaving empty handed again, Mullins would be eager to run if the right candidate comes along.
"It’s a great prize, it’s a great day, great occasion," he said. "If we get one good enough, we will try again."
Without A Fight is the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double, while Zahra is the first rider since Harry White in 1978 and 1979 to win successive Melbourne Cups on different horses having partnered Gold Trip last year.
"I thought the biggest opposition was my horse himself for being too keen," Zahra said.
"Coming out the barriers cold, he's a horse that settles much better on the fence, tucked away with all the horses around him, so I got him to the fence and he went to sleep straight away. I was following three great jockeys in Damien Oliver, James McDonald and Ryan Moore.
"It’s all about plotting the right path and I got to where I want to be. Last year I got a scare at the 200 (metre mark), at the 400 (this year) I thought I’m just home here."
Zahra, who opted to ride Without A Fight over eventual 17th Gold Trip, said he felt in great shape and took a relaxed approach to the race.
He added: "I got it right for the Caulfield Cup and I have tried to keep it since then… you don’t want to think about the race too much, but you also have to do a bit of homework."
Sam Freedman said he was positive going into the Melbourne Cup after Without A Fight’s performance in the Caulfield Cup.
"I was pretty confident. He actually had a better lead up to this race then he did for the Caulfield Cup," he said.
"Mark didn’t know this but his lead up was not perfect going into it so when he won it was a real sort of, this horse might be something pretty freakish."
It was Freedman’s first Melbourne Cup win, training the horse alongside his father Anthony. He is the nephew to Lee Freedman who trained three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.
"It’s pretty special, my great, great, great grandfather was a jockey and we gradually got a bit taller from there, he won three Melbourne Cups and then Lee obviously has won five, so it was nice to win one," he added.
Doyle felt Future History had failed to see out the trip on the day.
She said: "He ran really well, got a nice pitch and got into a beautiful rhythm, I just think it tested his stamina late."
Right You Are was pulled up in the race, with the horse later reported to be recovering after suffering from heat stress on a scorching day in Melbourne.
