As it happened Melbourne Cup 2021: Verry Elleegant defeats Incentivise to take out the race that stops the nation

Verry Elleegant is officially a champion after knocking off boom horse Incentivise in one of the most memorable Melbourne Cups in recent history.

A wonder mare of nine group 1s coming into Tuesday’s great race, there was conjecture over whether the Chris Waller-trained mare warranted the “champion” tag.

Waller told The Age and the Herald in the lead-up to her last start that a Cox Plate would give her that deserved title, but a Melbourne Cup has done that and more.

Makybe Diva was the last mare to win the Melbourne Cup, in 2005, and she did so with 58 kilograms in her third straight Cup victory.

Click here to read the story and click here to read about winning jockey James McDonald.

Find the full finishing order here.

That’s all we have for the 2021 Melbourne Cup live blog.

Thanks so much for joining us and leaving your comments throughout the day.

Verry Elleegant’s win will be remembered for some time.

We will have more Spring Carnival coverage in the days to come so please keep a watch on our sport pages and thanks to the large team of sport, online and news journalists, producers and photographers who made this live blog possible today.

Please have a lovely evening and bye for now.

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that nothing in life is certain. Not in a pandemic. Not in a Melbourne Cup.

So it seemed only fitting that this year’s Cup was won not by the horse on everyone’s lips, but a horse most had forgotten until she bolted down the Flemington straight like a teenager released from lockdown.

She’s Verry Elleegant and on a verry special Cup Day, she stole the show.

Click here to read the story.

Pre-race, the doubters were out in force.

This was a terrible Melbourne Cup, they said - a poor quality race, lacking in depth, and sadly depleted by a lack of European contenders, frightened off by strict veterinary protocols.

Okay, Incentivise was a potential superstar, they acknowledged: nine wins in a row, a runaway Caulfield Cup triumph, and the bookies marking him up at a shorter price than any previous winner since Phar Lap made the case for him being out of the ordinary.

Click here to read the story.

Hundreds celebrated in style at Melbourne’s luxury The Commons including host and businessman Bruce Keebaugh and his wife, the Real Housewives of Melbourne celebrity, Chyka.

“Hearing laughter and glasses clinking, that’s absolutely what this is about,” Ms Keebaugh said.

“This suddenly makes the last 18 months better.”

Complete with Shetland pony, dancers, marching band and free flowing Mumm, the exclusive event did not disappoint.

Model and Mumm ambassador Montana Cox said being around people at a major social event was well overdue.

“There’s been so much pent up excitement. Melbourne needed today,” she said.

The Melbourne Cup has been done and won for another year but race goers had plenty of celebrating to do.