| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jamie Lee Kah 1995 (age 29–30) |
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Horse racing |
| Major racing wins | |
| Doncaster Handicap Hong Kong Classic Mile Caulfield Cup Melbourne Cup | |
Jamie Lee Melham (née Kah; born 1995)[1] is an Australian jockey. In 2020/21 she became the first jockey to ride 100 winners in a Melbourne Metropolitan racing season. In 2020 and 2021 she was the leading female jockey in the world. She is the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.
Early life and education
[edit]Melham is the daughter of John and Karen Kah, former speed skaters who represented Australia at the Winter Olympics.[2] Her grandparents are Dutch.[3]
She grew up in Mount Pleasant in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia,[2] and between the ages of eight and ten she attended regular lessons and pony camp at the Kersbrook Equestrian Centre.[4] She began working at a friend's stables when she was 13.[2][5]
Career
[edit]Melham left school aged 15,[3] and began her riding apprenticeship in 2011, rode her first race in March 2012 at Streaky Bay, and rode her first winner 14 days later at the Easter Saturday meeting at Clare.[6][7]
In her first full season, 2012/13, Melham won the Adelaide Jockeys' Premiership.[6] She won the Premiership for a third time in 2017/18, then moved to Melbourne in January 2019, and won her first Group One race on Harlem in the Australian Cup at Flemington in March.[6]
In October 2020, Melham was ranked the leading female jockey in the world, and 77th jockey overall.[8] In February 2021 she was the world's 41st jockey overall, and the only female jockey in the top 100.[9] She rode her 1000th winner at the Pakenham racecourse on Wednesday, 12 May 2021. She was the third woman, after Clare Lindop in 2008 and Linda Meech in 2013, to ride 1000 winners in Australia.[10][11] After her victory in the 2025 Caulfield Cup she had ridden 1,340 winners, including 18 Group One winners.[12]
On 10 July 2021, Melham became the first jockey to ride 100 winners in a Melbourne Metropolitan racing season.[13] She finished the Metropolitan season with 105 winners.[14]
In September 2021 she was suspended for five months by the Victorian Racing Tribunal for breaching COVID-19 regulations and for providing false or misleading evidence to the breach investigation.[15] She appealed against the severity of the penalty to the Victorian Supreme Court, which upheld her appeal on 17 November, freeing her to resume riding.[16]
Melham was seriously injured in a fall during a race at Flemington on 11 March 2023, and spent several days in an induced coma at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.[17] She suffered brain injuries and several broken bones.[18] After months of rehabilitation and weeks of trackwork, she returned to racing with four rides at Randwick on 19 August.[19]
In October 2025, riding Half Yours, Melham became the first female jockey to win the Caulfield Cup.[20][21] In November, again on Half Yours, she became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, ten years on from Michelle Payne's historic victory.[22]
In a Group 3 race at Flemington that followed the 2025 Melbourne Cup, Melham was involved in an incident which resulted in the fall and injury of jockey Blake Shinn. Melham pled guilty to careless riding and was suspended by Racing Victoria stewards from 16 November to 17 December 2025.[23]
Personal life
[edit]For some years, Melham and Clayton Douglas,[24] a fellow jockey and trainer, had a property on the Mornington Peninsula.[2][7] In January 2025, she married fellow jockey Ben Melham.[25]
Major wins
[edit]
- Australian Cup - (1) - Harlem (2019)
- Australian Guineas - (1) - Southport Tycoon (2024)
- Moir Stakes - (1) - Coolangatta (2022)
- Black Caviar Lightning - (2) - Nature Strip (2021), Coolangatta (2023)
- Blue Diamond Stakes - (1) - Hayasugi (2024)
- C F Orr Stakes - (1) - Another Wil (2025)
- VRC Champions Stakes - (1) - Zaaki (2022)
- Caulfield Cup - (1) - Half Yours (2025)
- Doncaster Handicap - (1) - Cascadian (2021)
- Kingsford-Smith Cup - (1) - Vega One (2021)
- Makybe Diva Stakes - (1) - Gatting (2019)
- Melbourne Cup - (1) - Half Yours (2025)
- Newmarket Handicap - (1) - Cylinder (2024)
- Toorak Handicap - (1) - Mr Quickie (2020)
- The Goodwood - (2) - Benedetta (2024), Reserve Bank (2025)
- South Australian Derby - (1) - Coco Sun (2024)
- Victoria Derby - (1) - Goldrush Guru (2024)
- Hong Kong Classic Mile - (1) - Voyage Bubble (2023)
References
[edit]- ^ Sharma, Yashee (4 November 2025). "She made history in under four minutes. Who is Jamie Melham?". Nine.com. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d Schlink, Leo. "From pony club to a Cup dream: Kah's meteoric rise". Racenet. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b Harvey, Matt (9 October 2019). "Introducing Australia's next racing champion". RACV.
- ^ Lim, Josephine (4 November 2025). "From teen jockey to Melbourne Cup winner, there were early signs of Jamie Melham's success". ABC News. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Sexton, Mike (27 March 2014). "Winning ways: Young jockey Jamie Kah". ABC. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ a b c "Jamie Kah". Racing and Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ a b Sporle, Ben. "Kah named Lady of Racing". Racing.com. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ Smith, Chris (22 October 2020). "It's the Hollie, Jamie and Emma-Jayne show". Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ "TRC rankings star: Jamie Kah". Horse Racing Planet. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ Gardiner, Gilbert (12 May 2021). "Jamie Kah records 1000th career win". Punters. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Jamie Kah lands 1000 milestone win". Just Horse Racing. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Jamie Melham". Racing.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ Reynolds, Ryan. "Kah etches name into history". Racing.com. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ Eddy, Andrew. "Kah ends season with Valley double". Racing.com. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ Eddy, Andrew (17 September 2021). "Kah banned for five months". Racing.com. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Yeatman, Tim (17 November 2021). "Kah: I can't wait to get back". Racing.com. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Eddy, Andrew (13 March 2023). "Melham updates Kah condition". Racing.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ Yeatman, Tim (6 May 2023). "Kah details recovery". Racing.com. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ Cosgriff, Darcy (20 August 2023). "Kah to make Victorian return". Racing.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ "'Most important day of her career': Jockey creates Caulfield Cup history in 146-year first". Fox Sports. 18 October 2025.
- ^ Wu, Danny Russell, Andrew (18 October 2025). "'What I want to say can't go on camera': Jamie Melham makes history to win the Caulfield Cup". The Sydney Morning Herald.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ McGarry, Andrew; Doyle, Michael (4 November 2025). "Melbourne Cup 2025 live updates: Half Yours wins, Jamie Melham becomes second female jockey to triumph". ABC News. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Bishop, Brad (12 November 2025). "Jamie Melham cops big ban over Melbourne Cup Day incident that hospitalised rival rider Blake Shinn". Seven News. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Clayton Douglas". Racing and Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ Gardner, Gilbert (20 January 2025). "First pics from Jamie Kah, Ben Melham's picturesque wedding". Racenet. Retrieved 23 January 2025.