Melbourne Cup-winning jockey in emotional nod to family amid funny moment with Billy Slater

Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Robbie Dolan admits he had to ask NRL great Billy Slater if he won the $8.5 million race after pipping Warp Speed in a thrilling photo finish at Flemington on Tuesday. The 100/1 outsider Knight's Choice shocked onlookers after making a stunning late surge to snatch an enthralling victory for trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon.

The Irish-born Dolan's first ever victory in the Melbourne Cup was even more special after his father Bobby surprised the jockey by flying over last week to be on hand for the biggest moment of his son's life. "My Dad flew in from Ireland for this. I woke up the other morning and he was standing in the kitchen, I couldn't believe it," the winning jockey said.

It was a tense finish to 'the race that stops a nation', with Knight's Choice showing a blistering turn of speed late on to edge Noboru Takagi's Warp Speed and Okita Soushi, jockeyed by leading Aussie rider Jamie Kah. The finish was so close that Dolan admitted afterwards he was still unsure whether he'd claimed victory after waiting to speak with Slater on the track.

The league great is a self-proclaimed horse tragic and has been wowing fans after performing post-race interviews on horseback for Channel Nine's coverage. Slater had an awkward moment himself on Cup day after little awkward on Tuesday after half-jokingly admitting that he'd run out of questions for James McDonald after the jockey won two of the first three races.

Jockey Robbie Dolan had to ask Billy Slater if he won

And Slater was involved in another funny moment with Dolan after the Melbourne Cup, when the Irish jockey admitted he had to ask whether he'd actually won the great race. "Yeah, it felt like a lifetime hacking around with Billy Slater to see if I won or not," Dolan told Channel Nine. "I said did I win or not?"

He said Slater replied: "Mate, are you having a lend?" clearly thinking the Irishman was being a little mischievous. The victorious jockey also revealed he had extra motivation to win the Cup after being promised that he could meet Irish pop star Ronan Keating - who swooned the Flemington crowd with a couple of his biggest hits earlier in the day.

Dolan said he couldn't believe he'd won after Slater pointed out that it was also the jockey's first victory in any race on Melbourne Cup day. “It is incredible,” Dolan said. “I can’t believe it. I don’t even know what to say... “I watched every Melbourne Cup far the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him to stay the trip and hopefully he can run home and do the quick sectionals he can on a good track and he proved everybody wrong.”

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Robbie Dolan's beautiful nod to family after Melbourne Cup win

The Irish jockey said it was even more special to be able to celebrate the victory with his loved ones after a beautiful nod to his family. As well as having his father fly over from back home, Dolan's partner Christine and their baby girl was also on hand to help share in the momentous occasion.

“It is the biggest race in the world. I have my family here and my partner Christine, our little baby Maisy, and my dad flew over from Ireland and now you have me in tears,” he told Slater. Dolan still hadn't come to terms with the magnitude of the victory moments later.

“Mate, I feel like I’m going to wake up any minute. Can you pinch me, mate? Jesus Christ," the emotional jockey added. “I’ve never ridden in this race before so I didn’t know what to expect, but I feel like I’ve ridden it 10 times because I have ridden it in my head 100 times before I got here."

Dolan said credit had to go to Knight's Choice co-trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons who got the horse in perfect shape. "I know he has a good turn of foot. What a training performance. Look, you can’t do it without Sheila and John. Like, they were so confident in this horse even before he got to this race.

“A lot of people doubted them. And to be honest, I didn’t. I really liked his run at Bendigo and he hit the line well and was unlucky not to be placed... Once my horse spotted the gap, he changed lanes and he started to pick up under me. Once I pulled the stake through, he picked up a gear. He is only a little horse but he gives his all every starting. That’s half the battle, I think. He has proved a lot of people wrong.”