ROBBIE DOLAN'S ATTITUDE IS A WINNER AS HE TAKES AIM AT BACK-TO-BACK MELBOURNE CUP WINS

By Graham Potter | Monday, November 3, 2025

Twelve months ago, you would have been forgiven for thinking that jockey Robbie Dolan probably couldn’t seriously have been thinking about winning the Melbourne Cup on the $90 chance Knight’s Choice.

You would have been wrong!

A couple of days before the race, the laid-back Irishman gave several reasons why he thought Knight’s Choice would run a cheeky race, stating that he was not going there just to make up the numbers.

The rest, as they say, is history.

You could say that positive, uncomplicated attitude he brings to his work and the simple philosophy he brings to life in general and is one of Dolan’s biggest strengths.

Speaking in early October after winning the Group 1 Metropolitan on Royal Supremacy, the horse he will ride in this year’s Melbourne Cup, Dolan put that philosophy in perspective.

“I’ve always believed that you should enjoy life, before anything,” stated Dolan.

“We’ve all worked very hard from a young age to get into a position where we are now … riding in Metropolitan races, Melbourne Cups and things like that, so I just try to make the most of it.

“The Cup is an amazing race. It’s very different. I’d love everybody to experience winning it but, unfortunately, not many people will get that chance.”

In essence, Dolan has learnt to defuse the stress and take things as they come as far as the race riding is concerned.

“All you can do is just chase yourself to do better and do your own thing. Don’t worry about anybody else.

“Some days it will happen. Some days it won’t happen.”
And it can happen big time … both on an off the track as can be seen from the last twelve months since Dolan’s Cup win on Knight’s Choice.

And it can get even better if Royal Supremacy brings his A-Game to Flemington on Tuesday as you would expect him to do being prepared by Ciaron Maher who blasted off the start line of the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Saturday saddling the winners of the Group 1 Victoria Derby (Observer) , the Group 1 Empire Rose (Pride Of Jenni) and the Group 2 Damian Oliver (Warnie).

There is no $90 about Dolans chances this time around with Royal Supremacy currently being quoted at $29.

But, like most other things, that doesn’t faze Dolan.

“I’ve never worried about prices before and I’m not going to start now,” said Dolan.

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