‘He holds a special place’: Zahra, Without A Fight return to where the magic first happened

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Decorated Australian jockey Mark Zahra is no stranger to success at Caulfield Racecourse in the spring.

And he was back on Wednesday with an old friend to launch the Caulfield Cup carnival ahead of this Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas.

Dressed in his famous yellow and black-spotted silks, Zahra caught up with his good-luck charm, Without A Fight, the horse he piloted to the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 2023.

Zahra had won the Caulfield Cup in 2020 with Verry Elleegant before his 2023 success on Without A Fight. He won back-to-back Melbourne Cups in 2022 and 2023 – becoming the first jockey since Glen Boss on Makybe Diva to win consecutive Melbourne Cups.

“Great memories, I saw him [Without A Fight] about a month ago,” Zahra said. “But when you win a Melbourne Cup on a horse, he holds a special place for you for the rest of your life.”

Without A Fight won’t be racing this weekend, but Zahra will – at a track where he’s had “a lot of success”.

The veteran rider will pilot three-year-old colt Vinrock and is aiming for his second group 1 Caulfield Guineas victory, following his success in the race on Super Seth in 2019.

Sam Freedman trained Without A Fight to the 2023 Caulfield Cup victory, and has three runners this Saturday. He said the track brought back fond memories and said Caulfield’s proximity to the city made it a perfect race location.

Preparations for the carnival are complete, with pink marquees set up around the new fashion precinct, complete with a “photo finish studio” and salon for styling touch-ups.

Champagne towers in the Avenue x Beverly precinct have been meticulously balanced, with plush orange cushions on sofas and hanging lights and plants in the background, alongside a serenading saxophonist and DJ booth.

Models Demi Brereton and Olympia Valance ahead of the Caulfield Cup weekend.

Meanwhile, spectators who are less-interested in horse racing can head to a goalkicking pop-up soccer challenge.

Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga said he was delighted to welcome everyone to the upcoming festivities, while executive director Josh Rodder said 50,000 racegoers were expected over the carnival, celebrating “fabulous music, food and fashion”.

“No matter where you are on-course, as you can see, you’re always close to our racing heroes, whether they be human or equine,” Rodder said. “The beauty of this sport is human and animal becoming one in front of us.

“It’s absolutely poetry in motion.”

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