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2026 Melbourne Cup sweepstake kitThe key moments that have defined the Melbourne Cup
Shayne Hope, AAP •  November 2nd, 2026 3:10 pm
Fans flocked to Flemington in 2005 to watch Glen Boss and Makybe Diva make history | Photo: Julian Smith/AAP
Female jockeys Michelle Payne and Jamie Melham, as well as mighty mare Makybe Diva, are among the major figures to have defined the Melbourne Cup since the turn of this century.
THE THREE-PEAT
Race caller Greg Miles famously declared "a champion becomes a legend" when mighty mare Makybe Diva completed an unprecedented hat-trick of Melbourne Cup victories in 2005 under outstanding jockey Glen Boss.
Statues of Makybe Diva have been erected in Port Lincoln, the home of tuna fisherman owner Tony Santic, and on the lawn at Flemington Racecourse.
"Go and find the smallest child on this course and there will be the only example of a person who will live long enough to see that again. We'll never live to see it again," trainer Lee Freedman said.
Makybe Diva's third Melbourne Cup win was an iconic moment in Australian sport | Photo: Julian Smith/AAP
JAPANESE QUINELLA
Delta Blues, ridden by Yasunari Iwata, created history as the first Japanese horse to win the Melbourne Cup in 2006 in a further signal of the growing international presence of Australia's great race.
Delta Blues famously led home a Japanese quinella, with Pop Rock second under popular local jockey Damien Oliver.
"I went to Australia, rode like a clown in two races - and won the Melbourne Cup," Iwata said.
Japanese Jockey Yasunari Iwata and Delta Blues completed a dramatic victory in 2006 | Photo: Julian Smith/AAP
"GET STUFFED"
Michelle Payne shattered the glass ceiling and memorably told her critics to "get stuffed" after becoming the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup when she piloted long-shot Prince Of Penzance to an unlikely victory in 2015.
Payne was supported by brother and strapper Stevie, who unforgettably drew barrier one for Prince of Penzance.
"It's such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed (who) think women aren't strong enough because we just beat the world," Payne said.
Stevie and Michelle Payne's victory was widely celebrated at Flemington and around the country | Photo: Julian Smith/AAP
MELBOURNE-CAUFIELD CUP DOUBLE
In 2025, Jamie Melham became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.
Melham completed a historic double in the process with Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Half Yours, having won the Caulfield Cup two weeks earlier.
"You don't even dream of this day. You think about it but you don't think you are actually going to win the Melbourne Cup," Melham said.
Jamie Melham and Calvin McEvoy had plenty to celebrate during the 2025 spring racing carnival | Photo: James Ross/AAP
BART'S FINAL WIN
Legendary trainer Bart Cummings claimed the last of his 12 Melbourne Cup triumphs in 2008 when Viewed, ridden by Blake Shinn, hung on to beat Luca Cumani-trained Bauer by a nose in a thrilling finish.
Given little hope by bookmakers, Viewed's win was regarded as a victory for Australian racing given the race attracted a stacked European contingent, headlined by Irish favourite Septimus.
"Bit of hay fever," Cummings, then aged 80, shed a tear after the photo finish.
The 2008 Melbourne Cup finished with an epic duel between Viewed and Bauer | Photo: Julian Smith/AAP
THE PLACE TO BE SEEN
Hotel heiresses Paris and Nicky Hilton were among the VIPs at the Melbourne Cup carnival in 2003, when legendary mare Makybe Diva won the race that stops a nation for the first time.
Princess Diana, Snoop Dogg, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gina Rinehart and Elizabeth Hurley are among the swag of high-profile guests who have attended the carnival over the years.
