How Knight's Choice went from Walca to winning a Melbourne Cup

Every year a fairy tale is written during the Melbourne Cup, but the romance surrounding the 2024 winner Knight’s Choice is especially heart-warming.

The 80-1 outsider may have written his name into the racing history books when he carried jockey Robbie Dolan to victory, but his beginnings were humble.

The bay gelding was bred by Norm and Di Bazeley at Elswick Park, a thoroughbred stud farm in Walcha in northern New South Wales.

His mother, Midnight Pearl, was purchased for just $1,000.

Mr Bazeley was emotional as he spoke to ABC New England-North West today.

“It’s just incredible… they’re storybooks, aren’t they?” he said

Mr Bazeley never imagined the bloodline would lead to a Melbourne Cup winner.

But when he looked at the cup from the living room yesterday in his work clothes, Knight’s Choice became one.

A close-up of the Melbourne Cup finish, with the horse in pink and green winning, ahead of a horse on the outside. — Robbie Dolan drives #11 Knight’s Choice to win race seven of the Melbourne Cup during Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 5, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)

“About 200 meters from home… when he started making his move I knew he was going to be very close to winning the race,” he said.

“I’m 76 years old and I’ve been in equestrian for a long time… so it just goes to show you never stop learning.”

Knight’s Choice is the second Walcha-bred horse to win a Melbourne Cup.

Blue Spec won the race in 1905.

Humble beginnings

Knight’s Choice is the product of a dream Mr. Bazeley had for a particular racing bloodline.

He always wanted a More Than Ready mare for breeding.

More Than Ready was a world record holder who produced more than 2,000 winners before dying in 2022.

“It’s a good story, we laugh about it a lot,” Bazeley said.

“A More Than Ready mare came up, Midnight Pearl… and I decided to bid on her.

“The market was in decline at the time… and honestly, when I bought it… I knew I got a bargain.”

That bargain led to Knight’s Choice selling for $85,000 in 2021 and gaining $5.8 million yesterday.

But Mr. Bazeley still remembers when he was just a foal.

“As a foal I always liked him and he had a bit of character… he wanted to play and have fun all the time,” he said.

While the 2024 Melbourne Cup champion is getting used to his newfound fame, Midnight Pearl is currently nursing a filly and Mr Bazeley is busy with his breeding season.

A man in a blue shirt and hat stands with a black horse and a brown foal. — Norm Bazeley with his special mare Midnight Pearl and her newest foal. (ABC New England: James Paras)

No ‘chance in hell’

David Chester is sales director for Magic Millions, an Australian thoroughbred racehorse auction house based on the Gold Coast.

It was there that Knight’s Choice was sold.

“Of course we were over the moon,” Chester said.

“Because if you listen to all the so-called experts, no one gave him a chance.”

He said with millions of dollars invested in internationally bred stayers, it was encouraging to see the spotlight turned back on Australian bred horses.

“Sheila Laxon (who trained Knight’s Choice) proved that you can buy a horse in Australia, train it and win a Melbourne Cup,” he said.

“It will make people, I hope, think about the fact that you can breed a horse here, that you can train a horse here to win that big race.”