Last update on. From the section Horse Racing
Verry Elleegant won the race by four lengths
Verry Elleegant won Australia's famed Melbourne Cup horse race, beating favourite Incentivise (Britain) and Britain's Spanish Mission.
James McDonald rode the New Zealand mare to chase down the favourite short-priced horse and win the home straight by four lengths.
Chris Waller's first Melbourne Cup win is his.
"I love her to pieces. After the race, McDonald's told Channel 10 that she had been so kind to her.
"They can confidently say that she is a champion now.
"I didn't think I would win one," you know. It was something I had always hoped to do, but it is so difficult to win one.
Twilight Payment, a winner last year, was trained in Ireland by Joseph O'Brien and placed 11th after he had lifted the weights.
The Melbourne Cup, also known as "the race to stop a nation", is valued at A$7.75m (5.25m; 5.8m).
The event attracts about 100,000 people, but this year there were only 10,000 racegoers who had been fully vaccinated due to Covid-19 restrictions.
All runners appeared to have made it through the race unharmed, according to immediate reports.
After six deaths of horses in the race, stricter checks were instituted for overseas runners.
After breaking his leg last year, Anthony Van Dyck, the 2019 Derby winner was forced to be put to death.
After being treated for swelling in his leg, Spanish Mission was cleared by the vets to run as Andrew Balding's representative.
