An Irish jockey has defied the odds and ridden 90/1 Knight's Choice to victory in Australia's premier horse race, The Melbourne Cup.
Kildare native Robbie Dolan delivered a shock result in Victoria, with only a photo finish able to separate Knight's Choice and Warp Speed as they crossed the finish line having disposed of the day's favourites behind them.
While Dolan's name might be dominating the headlines today, it's not the first time his fame has rocketed on these shores, with a surprise appearance on The Voice Australia in 2022 garnering its share of attention.
Despite Irish trainer Willie Mullins looking to etch his mark on the race with Vauban and Absurde, their 11th and fifth place finishes did little to scupper Dolan's late surge.
Speaking after his sensational victory, Robbie Dolan could hardly believe what had happened, joking he might even return to singing.
Australian pundit lauds Irish jockey's great journey
Paying tribute to the Irish native, an Australian pundit on 9Now lauded the Irish man for heading Down Under to chase his dreams, comparing his journey to that of so many others who did the same.
That is just one of the great moments there.
Came here to Australia, went to apprentice school in Ireland. There wasn't much going for him so decided to have a crack Down Under, like so many Irish, like my parents, coming out here to the lucky country and getting a chance in life.
Look at him with his daughter who was born so prematurely...and there he is with the Melbourne Cup in his hand.
This moment with Robbie Dolan & his family after his miracle cup win is absolutely everything ❤️❤️❤️
Dolan went on to reveal to Channel 9 that he was lucky enough to be surprised by his father, who is still based in Ireland and flew out to Melbourne to see him, a trip that made the win all that much sweeter.
I woke up Sunday morning and he was standing in my kitchen – I couldn’t believe it. Win, lose or draw, it was a great day for me but to win it with him here as well as my partner and daughter, I’m going to cry again!
If there was any doubt in Dolan's mind about whether to return to the stage instead of the paddock, one would imagine that winning one of the world's biggest horse races will have well and truly put that to bed.
While he's very far from Ireland at the moment, this could be one of the great Irish sporting stories.
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