At the heart of this true story is Damien Oliver, a young jockey who loses his only brother in a tragic racing accident, hauntingly reflecting of the way their father died 27 years earlier. After suffering through a series of discouraging defeats, Damien teams with Irish trainer Dermot Weld, and triumphs at the 2002 Melbourne Cup in one of the most thrilling finales in sporting history.
Acting
Stephen Curry carries generational grief in every weigh-in.
Direction
Simon Wincer knows his way around a horse — and a heartstring.
Director
Simon Wincer
Stephen Curry
Damien Oliver
Brendan Gleeson
Dermot Weld
Tom Burlinson
Dave Phillips
Jodi Gordon
Trish Oliver
Daniel MacPherson
Jason Oliver
Martin Sacks
Neil Pinner
Alice Parkinson
Jenny
Shaun Micallef
Lee Freedman
Kate Bell
Claire
Rodger Corser
Jason McCartney
Jared Daperis
Frankie Dettori
Bill Hunter
Bart Cummings
Harli Ames
Saeed Bin Suroor
Nick Simpson-Deeks
Pat Smullen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Melbourne Cup literally stops Australia; offices hold viewing parties and the nation bets roughly $800 million annually. This race is religious.
The real Damien Oliver rode Media Puzzle to victory just days after Jason's funeral — the film's timeline compresses weeks of anguish into days for dramatic punch.
AU
US
