Americain strides ahead of So You Think and Maluckyday in the final straight. Credit:Justin McManus So You Think had gone out the shortest-priced favourite in years, carrying the hopes of most punters, whereas Americain, despite an emphatic victory in the Geelong Cup last month, had snuck under the guard of many. Trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre, American started at $13. "This job is so easy when you're in the best race on the best horse," jockey Gerald Mosse said. "A big thanks to the owner who gave me the confidence to be the first French jockey to win the Melbourne Cup."

Gerald Mosse riding Americain celebrates after winning the Melbourne Cup. Credit:Getty Images It was De Royer-Dupre's first Melbourne Cup campaign. "Before, it looked a difficult challenge to be competitive in this great race, but I was very confident; he's a really good horse." So You Think, ridden by Steven Arnold, started at $2.90 and gave punters plenty of hope when he took the lead with 300 metres to go. But he couldn't hold off Americain, with Mosse always confident. Mosse knew Americain had the Bart Cummings-trained favourite covered.

"He was very, very strong over the last 250 metres and I knew I was going to catch him," he said. An old champion and a new one would have been a hugely popular winning combination at Flemington today but they don't give away Melbourne Cups until the 3200 metres is covered so it's back to the drawing board for So You Think, the four-year-old stallion who had been so impressive in winning his second Cox Plate 10 days ago and the Mackinnon Stakes on Saturday. He did it with class but also with sentiment on his side as Cummings, rising 83, sought a 13th win. So You Think still has the world in front of him. The illustrious Cummings could reasonably be thought to have left his best days behind. But reason has its limits and the legendary trainer will doubtless defy them again and return to challenge next year. In these days of global racing it takes a great horse to win the Cup. The $6 million purse, the huge crowds and the atmosphere have lifted the profile of the race. Eight internationals took the starter's orders today. The world's best trainers and owners want to win it and, watching from the stands today, the biggest of them all, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, could give ample testimony as to how hard the race is to win.

The sheikh, through Godolphin, has sent hundreds of millions worth of horseflesh south for the race only to have his thoroughbreds break down, blow up and, only occasionally, threaten. Another pair were burnt up today and, in more than a decade of trying, second is the best he can boast. But it's not just the world discovering Flemington that has changed the Cup. Australians, too, have found the world. Some champioins are bred, some discovered. Australian owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford set out five years ago to find a Melbourne Cup runner and they turned up something much bigger than that. "This is what you dream of ever since you were a kid. We were having a chat last night. We used to both listen to the radio growing up. It's fantastic," said Ryan. The pair paid $400,000 for Americain when the six-year-old returned from an unsuccessful season in the United States. Another horse owner, former Test cricketer Simon O'Donnell, had already fingered him as a potential Cup winner.

But, despite having won his last four races in France, and the Geelong Cup, which generally offers a sound form line, most had overlooked the beautiful black horse. "Five years ago we planned this," Ryan said. "This is what I've dreamed of ever since I was a kid. I was very relaxed because everything was out of my control." They might have blown into Flemington under cover of the celebrations that had So You Think declared, a little prematurely as the next Phar Lap, but it's Americain who's left an emphatic mark in the record books. Zipping ($26) came fourth in the race for the third time.

Zavite finished last, and Caulfield Cup winner Descarado failed to finish. FINISHING ORDER Loading 1. Americain

2. Maluckyday

3. So You Think

4. Zipping

5. Harris Tweed

6. Holberg

7. Manighar

8. Precedence

9. Illustrious Blue

10. Mr Medici

11. Once Were Wild

12. Tokai Trick

13. Shoot Out

14. Monaco Consul

15. Master O’Reilly

16. Campanologist

17. Profound Beauty

18. Shocking

19. Red Ruler

20. Buccellati

21. Linton

22. Zavite

Descarado failed to finish. - with AAP