French raider Americain has won the 150th Melbourne Cup.

One of the top chances for the 3200-metre handicap, the American-bred French-raced stayer finished impressively, powering home in the straight to pass the finishing post ahead of lightly-weighted Maluckyday and pre-race hot favourite So You Think.

The six-year-old Americain, ridden by Gerald Mosse, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre but owned by Australian interests, was a last-start winner of the Geelong Cup on October 20.



Just as the local champion and crowd favourite So You Think looked poised to give 82-year-old Bart Cummings his 13th Cup success, Americain pounced up the straight.



‘‘I pressed the button at the right time,’’ Mosse said.



‘‘This job is so easy when you’re in the best race on the best horse.



‘‘He was very, very strong over the last 250 metres and I knew I was going to catch him (So You Think).

"A big thanks to the owner who gave me the confidence to be the first French jockey to win the Melbourne Cup."



Americain becomes the third European-trained winner of the Cup and is jointly owned by Australian businessmen Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford.