As revealed by Ben Dorries for punters.com.au, Dolan was shocked when his father, Bobby, arrived into Brisbane from Ireland ahead of his son’s Melbourne Cup debut.

Dolan Snr brings with him Melbourne Cup connections of his own, having worked for legendary Irish trainer Dermot Weld (Vintage Crop, Media Puzzle) for 26 years.

A keen golfer and a member at Nudgee Golf Club, Dolan took his dad to Nudgee on Sunday to watch Phoenix Campbell hold off Jak Carter and Cameron Smith to claim an historic second-straight Queensland PGA Championship.

He now has his own place in Australian sporting history after expertly guiding the $91 chance to victory by a nose in Australia’s greatest race.

Although a shock winner by any account, Dolan went into his first foray in the Melbourne Cup confident in the five-year-old gelding’s prospects after an encouraging Bendigo Cup run.

“I always believed he could stay, even though he has got such an explosive turn of foot that some people probably doubted whether he could stay,” Dolan told Dorries.

“I have got no doubt he will get the two miles of the Melbourne Cup.

“I think he deserves a shot at the race and he can race really well.”

Not only is Dolan now a Melbourne Cup-wining jockey and part-time golfer, he is also an accomplished singer who advanced to the final 24 artists of The Voice in 2022.