Knight’s Choice has won the 2024 Melbourne Cup, defeating Warp Speed and Okita Soushi in a thrilling finish at Flemington on Tuesday afternoon.

The massive outsider saluted for Irish-born jockey Robbie Dolan, who claimed victory in what was his first ever ride in the “race that stops a nation”.

In what was a gripping 164th staging of Australia’s most-watched thoroughbred race, Knight’s Choice proved too strong in a sprint to the finish, pulling over the top of Okita Soushi and holding off Warp Speed by the barest of margins.

Trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon on the Sunshine Coast, Knight’s Choice was well down the betting across all markets. It was Laxon’s second Melbourne Cup triumph after she trained Ethereal to victory 23 years ago.

“This is the pinnacle of all pinnacles, this is the Melbourne Cup,” Symons said.

Zardozi rounded out the first four.

As the field approached the final few hundred metres it appeared as though Jamie Kah, aboard Okita Soushi, would become just the second woman to ride the winner in the Melbourne Cup. But Okita Soushi was swallowed up as the winning post neared, with Knight’s Choice beating Warp Speed to the line after a peach of a ride from Dolan.

“We’ll be singing tonight after a few beers,” Dolan, who was a contestant on the 2022 edition of “The Voice”, told Channel 9.

“It is amazing and a lot of people doubted this little horse. Doubt me now.”

Laxon was more than happy with the ride, with Dolan threading his way through the field from near last on the bend.

“He started the race, and he knew how to ride him. We didn’t give him instructions, he knew what to do,” she said.

“I love it being down for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it, and Robbie is Australian now as well, so I’m thrilled to win the Cup, and it is the people’s Cup, and that’s what it is all about.”

Knight’s Choice is just the sixth Australian-bred horse to win since 1993, and the first since Vow and Declare back in 2019.

The five-year-old gelding carried only 51kg to victory and was making its first start over the 3200m trip. It had most recently come off a fifth-placed finish in the Bendigo Cup, but had showed sparing little form this preparation otherwise.

“I watched every Melbourne Cup for 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,” Dolan said.

Two-time All-Star starter Nathan Eovaldi became a free agent Monday after declining a vested $20 million player option for next season with the Texas Rangers.

Eovaldi will get a $2 million buyout from that option earned by throwing more than 300 innings over his two years with the Rangers after joining them in free agency. He was the winning pitcher in their World Series-clinching game at Arizona in 2023, when he was 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in six postseason starts. He was also part of Boston’s 2018 title.

The Rangers had expected Eovaldi to decline the option, but would still like to re-sign the 34-year-old right-hander and Texas native.

“We still have great interest in bringing him back,” said Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations. “We’re still going to work towards hopefully getting him back in the Rangers uniform.”

Texas declined a $6.5 million team option for Andrew Chafin, a left-handed reliever acquired from Detroit in a deadline trade. Chafin got a $500,000 buyout and became a free agent after 62 combined appearances in 2024 that triggered $625,000 in bonuses on top of his $4.75 million salary, plus a $250,000 assignment bonus for the trade.

Eovaldi was 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts the past two seasons, and had 298 strikeouts over 314 2/3 innings. He was 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts this year. He threw seven scoreless innings at the Los Angeles Angels to win the season finale for the Rangers, who finished 78-84 and missed the playoffs.

Texas was the sixth big league team for Eovaldi, who is 91-81 with a 4.07 ERA in 294 career games (275 starts) since his debut in 2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Besides Boston, he also has pitched for Miami, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay.

His $34 million deal with the Rangers included a $16 million salary each of the past two seasons, and a $2 million signing bonus. He also earned multiple bonuses for being an All-Star in 2023 and reaching certain levels of innings pitched.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and left-hander Andrew Heaney, who made a team-high 31 starts, are also free agents.

The Rangers still have two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle under contract after both made three starts at the end of last season after recovering from elbow surgery in 2023. Jon Gray has one more season left on his four-year deal, and former first-round draft picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker made their big league debuts this year.

Chafin, who pitched in 21 games for the Rangers, is the fifth Texas reliever to become a free agent. He joined four right-handers: All-Star closer Kirby Yates, veteran David Robertson, José Leclerc and José Ureña in free agency. The 39-year-old Robertson on Saturday declined a $7 million mutual option, triggering a $1.5 million buyout.

Seager recovery

Young said two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager is recovering “nicely” from his second hernia surgery in less than eight months.

Seager’s season ended in September after he had a right sports hernia repair, on the opposite side of his abdomen from the Jan. 30 procedure. Seager missed most of spring training and did not play in his first exhibition game until March 23.

“I believe he’s close to resuming a normal offseason and his normal strength and conditioning program,” Young said.

Seager was ready for the March 28 opener in his third season of a $325 million, 10-year contract. The 30-year-old shortstop hit .278 with 30 homers and 74 RBI in 123 games before going on the injured list Sept. 4 with right hip discomfort.

The Atlanta Braves exercised designated hitter Marcell Ozuna‘s $16 million option for the 2025 season Monday but declined to pick up catcher Travis D’Arnaud‘s $8 million option, making him a free agent.

The Braves also declined their $7 million team option on right-hander Luke Jackson.

Ozuna, who turns 34 next week, was named a Silver Slugger finalist Monday after batting .302 with 39 home runs and 104 RBIs, while not missing a game this season.

A three-time All-Star, Ozuna is a career .272 hitter with 275 homers, 880 RBIs and 1,514 hits in 1,469 games with the Miami Marlins (2013-17), St. Louis Cardinals (2018-19) and Braves.

D’Arnaud, 35, batted .251 and slugged 60 home runs in his five years with the Braves. He earned his only All-Star nod with the Braves in 2022.

Jackson, 33, went 4-3 with a 5.09 ERA in 52 relief appearances this past season, 16 of those with the Braves after they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline in the swap that also brought Jorge Soler to Atlanta. The Braves traded Soler to the Los Angeles Angels last week.

Ozuna’s option had a $1 million buyout; D’Arnaud’s had none. Jackson had a $2 million buyout.

The Braves also announced they reinstated OF Ronald Acuna Jr., LHP Ray Kerr, LHP Angel Perdomo, RHP Spencer Strider and RHP Huascar Ynoa from the 60-day injured list.