Melbourne Cup 2024 as it happened: Knight’s Choice wins the race that stops the nation

With no more races left, some visibly inebriated punters have begun the barefooted trek home, with many limping towards the train station or Uber line.

Evidence of the day’s festivities litter Flemington Racecourse, with squashed beer cans, cups and the occasional trodden fascinator sewn across the grass.

Race goers relax after a long day at Flemington.Credit: Justin McManus

Sunburns, pedicures, and discarded jackets are on display as seagulls swarm around half-eaten chicken wings. Never fear.

A army of dedicated cleaners are already coming through, scraping piles of rubbish into bins.

In a short time the grounds will be spotless once again.

Another picture during a long day at the races.Credit: Justin McManus

The races have ended, but the entertainment continues at Flemington.

Sophie-Ellis Bextor is performing at The Park to a lively crowd of thousands.

Ellis-Bextor showed she’d done her homework sharing some of the Cup’s early history while rattling off some of her most popular songs and a few covers.

Sophie Ellis Bextor performs.Credit: Angus Delaney

This included Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) and ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).

The Melbourne Cup, along with other major sporting events, have been investing money and effort into securing big name singers to perform, in an effort to attract new fans and increase their reach.

After Bextor-Ellis, Empire of the Sun will perform a DJ set.

Punters watch the live music at Melbourne Cup Day.Credit: Angus Delaney

Brooke Warne, daughter of the late Shane Warne, is on track to watch the favourite in the last, Warnie.

The race is about to start.

Warnie in the last has to be a catch-cry this Cup Day as punters look for something to cheer home in the aptly named Channel 9 Trophy.

Throw Warnie in as many combinations as you can afford as a mark of respect for the late cricket great Shane Warne.

It will be a tough race but Warnie - who Ciaron Maher trains - has won at the track and will be set for the race.

Beyond that, the three down the bottom of the weights are worth considering so keep turning the pages of the race book to find value with Bel Air, Is It Me and The Shaper.

Warnie in the last race has a nice ring to it so get on.

The billionaire package Pratt family sisters Fiona Geminder and Heloise Pratt, exiting Lexus, en route to their fave hang in the Furphy marquee were keen to avoid an interview with CBD.

Geminder tried to deflect attention from herself by pointing out that American heiress Nicky Hilton Rothschild was passing by.

No Fiona, we only have eyes for Melburnian billionaires!

“Are you taping? Geminder asked nervously… “I can’t.”

Oh yes you can.

“I love honestly, the Melbourne Cup, the colour and the movement,” Geminder paused, for what we thought was emphasis, but it turned out her heel had caught between the Lexus floorboards.

“It’s a refresh of Melbourne,” said Geminder, co-chair and part owner of packaging company Visy.

Geminder said she was not a regular socialite as the company had to “provide a lot of packaging to a lot of people”.

“I’m out and about, but probably not to areas where you’d be going - factories and businesses.

“I’m going to the can factory tomorrow in Coburg, where we make cans for SPC baked beans and spaghetti.”

At this point Heloise Pratt appeared and revealed that she doesn’t drink or bet, which CBD thought might take away from the simple pleasures of a day at the Cup.

“(I’m here) to support Fiona to see…

“To see her drink and bet?” CBD suggested.

Both sisters laughed.

“No, no no I am just here because I love the passion.”

With that, they were on their way.

In the Rails Promenade, some tiny tots have scored one of the hottest tickets in town.

Two-year-old Harriet loves the “horsies”, mum Natalie Lavill says.

Two-year-old Harriet with mum Natalie Lavill on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.Credit: Brittany Busch

Lavill likes them too, and has her money on Splash Back for race 9.

Lavill said she had been bringing Harriet to the Melbourne Cup since she was born and it was a good family day out, though the Fitzroy North family wouldn’t be hanging around too late.

“Probably last race, we’ll get on the train and leave. She will need bed and maybe I will too,” Lavill said.

Kerry O’Keeffe was on hand to watch Gallant Star win the Barn Dance at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images

Former Test spinner and popular commentator Kerry O’Keefe has celebrated victory at Randwick after a horse he part-owns, Gallant Star, won the Barn Dance.

O’Keefe’s colours were pink and black and featured a ‘skull’, a nod to his nickname.