Cheers of joy rang out at Flemington Racecourse as Half Yours stormed past the post to claim the Melbourne Cup, making jockey Jamie Melham the second woman to win the prestigious race.

Tens of thousands of racegoers refused to let wintry conditions dampen their spirits, although the crowd had to carefully navigate soggy grass in heels and huddle under umbrellas during downpours.

Melham made history as the first woman to win the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, a decade after Michelle Payne was the first to win the Cup.

British expat Chris Wilson picked Half Yours out of a hat in a workplace sweepstake and decided to back it again with a bookie at the track, netting some $170.

"This is the horse I got at work, it's the only reason I backed it so I've also won $100 from work as well," he sa

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