With racing's glass ceiling shattered for good, Rachel King isn't giving a second thought to possibly becoming the third woman to pilot a Melbourne Cup winner.
The British-born, Sydney-based jockey will hop aboard Bjorn Baker-trained stayer So You Are for the $10.2 million race at Flemington on Tuesday.
Jamie Melham's triumph on Half Yours in 2025 was the second time a female jockey saluted in the Cup's 165-year history following Michelle Payne's breakthrough a decade earlier.
But the potential of King joining their rarefied ranks is far from her mind.
"I probably sway away from the whole female jockey thing," King said at a pre-race event on Monday.
"I think we've proven over a number of years that everybody's on a level playing field, which is a fantastic aspect of this sport.
"It's something racing should be really proud of, and we continue to go out there every year and sort of prove ourselves."
It will be King's fourth start in the world's richest handicap, with last year's 10th-place finish with Military Mission her best result.
With So You Are among the favourites, the 36-year-old acknowledged this was her best shot yet at featuring in the finish.
"Since I first rode in the Cup ... I've really wanted to just target this race every year and try to at least have a ride in it," King said.
"And each year I feel like I've had a slightly better chance, and this is definitely the best chance I've had over the years."
After forming an unlikely partnership with King, Baker said the lightweight rider remained largely unheralded.
"She's at Warwick Farm in southwest Sydney - I call it Warwick Farm penitentiary," Baker quipped.
"It's not always easy getting up early, going to track work, but Rachel works harder than anyone.
"She's been essentially born on the back of a horse, so I've got the ultimate trust in her."
Baker said King knew the five-year-old gelding inside and out, and he would not offer any advice on how to run the 3200m staying test.
"The good jockeys don't need instructions and the bad jockeys don't listen," the Warwick Farm-based New Zealander said.
"I leave it up to Rachel."
With Future History's elevation into the 24-strong field, Melham can create more history as the first female rider to win the Cup in successive years.
Female trainers have also tasted Cup success this century, with 2001 winner Ethereal and 2024 champion Knight's Choice saddled by Sheila Laxon, and 2013 victory Fiorente coming from Australian racing legend Gai Waterhouse's stable.
