The first full-scale Melbourne Cup in three years only had unseasonable rain and chill to worry about rather than a pandemic. The 2020 race was held without the public, and in 2021 with only 10,000 vaccinated spectators. The social centre of the race at Flemington’s Birdcage was quieter this year. Gold Trip won the race, but the story of the day was a business one: an audacious piece of marketing by start-up bookmaker Betr.