Melbourne Cup 2016: How the great race was run and won

NOT sure what happened to your Cup tip in the run? Michael Manley breaks down the key moments of the Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne Cup field thunders down the Flemington straight the first time. Picture: David Caird

NOT sure what happened to your Cup tip in the run? The Herald Sun’s Michael Manley breaks down the key moments of the Melbourne Cup.

THE RESULT

1ST: (17) ALMANDIN

2ND: (13) HEARTBREAK CITY

3RD: (6) HARTNELL

MELBOURNE CUP: WHERE YOUR HORSE FINISHED

THE RACE

START

BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE, from barrier one, dips and almost falls. ALMANDIN jumps away well from barrier 17.

THE CUP’S MOST TOUCHING MOMENT

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AFTER 400m

WICKLOW BRAVE out wide, being ridden by Frankie Dettori, surges forward. On his inside ASSIGN, EXCESS KNOWLEDGE, CURREN MIROTIC (leading) and BIG ORANGE (racing away from the fence) are leading the way. Kerrin McEvoy settles ALMANDIN worse than midfield, with HARTNELL and HEARTBREAK CITY just in front of him.

WINNING POST FIRST TIME

EXCESS KNOWLEDGE is narrowly in front from ASSIGN (outside) and CURREN MIROTIC on the fence. McEvoy has been riding ALMANDIN coldly and has slotted him into 15th place. Joao Moreira has HEARTBREAK CITY a length and a half ahead of him in 14th.

Excess Knowledge leads the field out of the straight.

2000m OUT

EXCESS KNOWLEDGE leads from ASSIGN with CURREN MIROTIC third and WICKLOW BRAVE fourth. SECRET NUMBER has begun a three-wide run and is pushing forward. HEARTBREAK CITY is still well back in 16th placing and ALMANDIN is 18th.

1200m

SECRET NUMBER has pushed on to head EXCESS KNOWLEDGE with ASSIGN third and CURREN MIROTIC fourth and WICKLOW BRAVE fifth. HEARTBREAK CITY (15th) and ALMANDIN (16th) well back still.

600m

Pace quickens as SECRET NUMBER still leads from EXCESS KNOWLEDGE with ASSIGN and CURREN MIROTIC. Moreira on HEARTBREAK CITY begins his move while McEvoy on ALMANDIN bides his time.

The runners start making their moves entering the straight.

450m (point of turn)

EXCESS KNOWLEDGE hits the front from SECRET NUMBER as the field bunches. HARTNELL, in sixth place, gets to the outside of BIG ORANGE. HEARTBREAK CITY has got to midfield but McEvoy is on his outside on ALMANDIN.

ENTERING THE STRAIGHT

ALMANDIN gets to the outside and looks poised. HEARTBREAK CITY bumps with JAMEKA. HARTNELL starts to come out after the leader EXCESS KNOWLEDGE, who has got the better of SECRET CITY.

250m

HEARTBREAK CITY finds the lead but McEvoy and ALMANDIN start to charge home on his outside. HARTNELL tries to go with that pair, but they surge clear of the rest of the chasing pack headed by ALMOONQITH

WINNING POST

After a two-horse war McEvoy on ALMANDIN gets the better of HEARTBREAK CITY on the line. HARTNELL tried hard and held down third clearly.

Kerrin McEvoy drives Almandin to the line in a thrilling finish with Heartbreak City. Picture: Ian Currie

Originally published as Melbourne Cup 2016: How the great race was run and won