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Verry Elleegant carried 57 kilograms,under Sydney’s premier jockey James McDonald,and made a mess of her rivals,with the class – Incentivise second and Spanish Mission third – rising to the top.

Her record now includes a Melbourne Cup,a Caulfield Cup,a third place in the Cox Plate,and eight other group 1 wins,and more than $14 million in career earnings. Her group 1 wins now range from 1400 metres to 3200 metres,and they also include an ATC Oaks at age 3,a Tancred at 4,a Caulfield Cup at 5 and a Melbourne Cup as a six-year-old.

McDonald had conquered Flemington on Derby Day,winning four races including the lucrative Coolmore Stud Stakes,but this win meant more than that.

As he raced past Incentivise at the 200-metre mark,the result was inevitable,and he stood up in the irons passing the post,covering the emotion on his face with his left hand.

“I love her to bits,she’s been so good to me,” were the first words from McDonald’s mouth on Channel 10’s coverage.

“I can safely say she is a champion now,10 group 1s.

“I was blowing kisses to her the whole way. I don’t know. I just can’t believe what’s just happened. I can’t believe it.

“I never thought I’d ever win one[a Melbourne Cup]. I always dreamed of winning one,they’re so hard to win.”

Waller,who wasn’t on course on Tuesday,was said to have been overwhelmed with emotion. The trainer of modern legend Winx,a four-time Cox Plate winner,had won nearly every big race on the Australian racing calendar bar the elusive Melbourne Cup.

The result was also an incredible one for prominent owners Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir,who part-own not only Verry Elleegant but the runner-up,Incentivise.

The short-priced favourite lost no admirers,settling second in the field and turning into the Flemington straight in the lead. But he was no match for the mare over the concluding stages,battling on to finish second by four lengths.

Import Spanish Mission,who had to overcome three veterinary inspections last week and then pass a fourth on Monday,was outstanding,running third to two of racing’s weight-for-age stars.

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s rising stayer Floating Artist was the only one close to the three,finishing a brave fourth.

The gap between the winner and fifth was 10 lengths. Last year’s winner Twilight Payment,whose trainerJoseph O’Brien had flown from Ireland to Melbourne on Monday,finished 11th.

Prizemoney of $160,000 is paid down to 12th position.

Johnny Get Angry,for two-time AFL premiership coach Denis Pagan,finished 22ndin the field of 23.

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