Reigning Melbourne Cup holder is out of this year's race
Trackside.co.nz • September 30th, 2025 5:03 PM • 3 min read
Co-trainer Sheila Laxon confirmed the news today on Australian Radio, that the 6 year old will not compete in at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
There has been an outbreak of strangles at Mount Macedon, where the horse is stabled and while Laxon could not confirm Knight’s Choice had contracted the disease, it will wipe out the horse’s spring carnival targets.
Equine strangles is a highly infectious disease that is rarely fatal, but can quickly spread through a barn.
Despite the disappointing news, Laxon remains positive, and is taking solace from the history books as 1932 winner Peter Pan missed the 1933 race due to a virus and then returned in 1934 to win the great race again.
Only four horses have won consecutive Melbourne Cups, and Makybe Diva is the only horse to have won three consecutive Melbourne Cups (winning in 2003, 04 and 05) since it was first run in 1861.
With a revised calendar, it is possible that Knight's Choice could instead head to Ellerslie for the Auckland Cup as part of Champions Day in March 2026.
Sir Delius ($6) and Al Riffa ($7) are the only two horses currently paying single figures for this year's Melbourne Cup.
