Jamie Melham’s unforgettable Melbourne Cup victory quickly turned bittersweet after Racing Victoria stewards handed her a 30-meeting suspension for careless riding later that same day.

The penalty followed an incident in the race immediately after her Cup win, when Blake Shinn was dislodged from She’s Got Pizzazz. Melham was riding Fancify for Michael Hickmott, finishing eighth in the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.

Shinn sustained a broken leg in the fall, forcing stewards to delay the inquiry until Wednesday’s Caulfield meeting, where Melham entered a guilty plea to careless riding under AR 131(a).

The official stewards’ report stated: “Rider Jamie Melham pleaded guilty … near the 200m she permitted her mount to shift out when not sufficiently clear of She’s Got Pizzazz that was bumped and stumbled, resulting in rider Blake Shinn being dislodged.”

As a result, Melham’s licence was suspended for 30 meetings, commencing Sunday 16 November 2025 and concluding Wednesday 17 December 2025. Stewards noted her previous good record and guilty plea in determining penalty.

Saturday’s CF Orr Stakes card at Caulfield will be her last before the ban takes effect. She is booked for eight rides, headlined by Evaporate in the $1 million main event.

The incident put a dampener on what was otherwise a landmark Spring Carnival for Melham, who became the first female jockey to win both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup aboard the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Half Yours.

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