One Kiwi punter won $168,000 on the 'Great Race', while an Aussie pulled off the unthinkable today - picking all four finishers in order for $240,000.

Kiwi punters have placed a record number of bets on the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

Melbourne Cup jockey's sporting gesture when placing second has met with an outpouring of praise.

Almandin has won the Melbourne Cup in a time of 3:20:59, pipping Heartbreak City on the line in a sprint finish to win the $6.2 million 'Great Race'.

Almandin has just taken out the $6.2 million race at Flemington Racecourse, beating Heartbreak City in a thrilling finish.

If Hartnell is a flat track bully then bring on the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington today says champion Kiwi jockey James McDonald.

The smartest kids in the room have crunched the data, analysing 40000 participants from 4000 races, and they reckon they have found

He's the obscenely-wealthy owner whose stable dominates world racing - and today he badly wants the Melbourne Cup.

The greatest horse race in the southern hemisphere slips into stride today at Flemington. Here's your online Melbourne Cup guide with a Kiwi flavour.

Smolda could win or lose today's Kaikoura Cup in the first 400m.

Form cross references are not infallible, but they work in more cases than not.

Offices around the country will grind to a standstill next Tuesday tomorrow at 5pm when the 156th Melbourne Cup kicks off over the

Trudy Thornton gained entry at Tauranga yesterday to an elite jockeys' club. The 53-year-old posted the 1000th riding success of

English trainer Charlie Appleby has arrived in Australia in time to see Oceanographer win his way into the Melbourne Cup.

The Cummings name is attached to some of Australia's most famous races, and the latest generation has ensured it will be so for many years to come.

Tony Pike stared into the Yarra River on his way to lunch in Melbourne yesterday and focused his mind.

Shouldn't be difficult to land a complimentary drink at the Victorian Police headquarters this Christmas.

Melbourne's fabulous Derby Day this afternoon might provide the best punting opportunities.

Another day, another dollar, another Derby?

New Plymouth trainer Jeff Bliss is optimistic his honest mare Hotshot Lass can bounce back to her true form on her home track today.

Keely Be's wayward tendencies didn't help her cause during a light three-year-old campaign.

As one of Melbourne's most successful jockeys continues a spring carnival suspension, another returns on Bendigo Cup day at a meeting not originally in his diary.

Mark Du Plessis has a Melbourne Cup mount in his sights.

Dual group one winner Tarzino could return to the land of his birth to start his stallion career.

The logjam for Melbourne Cup berths will go to the wire when 32 horses remained in Cup contention after second declarations yesterday.

While most of the leading contenders have taken a traditional route to the Victoria Derby, two hopefuls from the John Sargent stable have been on a less orthodox path.

They say manners maketh man, but they might also maketh the New Zealand Trotting Cup winner.

Yesterday's $100,000 Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa did little to confirm absolute favouritism for the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

Because for all his talent and a trophy case that includes the Auckland Cup and Miracle Mile, Have Faith In Me is starting to become painful for punters.

However, it was all to no avail as Winx coasted by Hartnell at Moonee Valley.