Verry Elleegant crossed the finish line as a winner in front of spectators who had just come out of one of the longest series of confinements in the world and who celebrated this day by sasting champagne.
The event, nicknamed "
the race that brings a nation to a halt
", allowed 10,000 vaccinated punters to gather, far from the crowds of 100,000 people who had gathered in previous editions.
This event, which has been held every first Tuesday in November since 1876, is so important that the day it takes place is a public holiday in the state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital.
And all the media echo the name of the winning horse.
Among the happy spectators this year was Keith Foletti, who says he has attended 85 of the last 87 Melbourne Cups.
“
I was baptized in the 1934 Melbourne Cup, the skies opened and I was soaked,
” he told ABC television.
"
The only two editions I missed was the year I was on my honeymoon and last year because of the Covid
."
Before the pandemic, the Melbourne Cup signaled the return of high-level sporting competitions to the country's second-largest city, ahead of the Christmas cricket test matches, the Australian Open tennis or the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Australia.
Particularly long since it is run over 3,200 meters, the Melbourne Cup, which is endowed with 8 million Australian dollars (5.16 million euros), demands remarkable endurance from its competitors.
6-year-old mare Verry Elleegant, ridden by James McDonald, has moved up the field to cap Incentivise, the biggest favorite at the lowest odds since the legendary Phar Lap over 90 years ago.
The event was between 23 horses after the exclusion of Future Score whose right front limb was limping during a final fitness test.
Stricter veterinary checks have been put in place after the deaths of six race-linked horses since 2013, including Anthony Van Dyck, a favorite last year, injured 500 meters from the finish.
The city of Melbourne ended a series of lockdowns ten days ago that has forced the five million inhabitants to stay at home for 260 days since the start of the pandemic.
