Sydney - Australia's richest horserace once again held disappointment for the European contingent when locally trained Viewed won the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday in front of 130,000 spectators.
The 5-year-old was just a lip ahead of English horse Bauer in the tightest-ever finish in the 148-year history of what Australians call "the race that stops the nation."
It's estimated that 12 million of the 21 million Australians watch the 3 minutes it takes for some of the world's best horses to gallop round the 3.2-kilometre track.
"It's nice to win a race like this - a race that everyone in Australia likes to win, particularly my owners," veteran trainer Bart Cummings said.