Cheers and cries have rung out at Flemington Racecourse as Without a Fight won the 2023 Melbourne Cup.
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The track was transformed into a sea of bright hats, suits and sunglasses while punters sweltered through stifling conditions to watch the $8.4 million race.
First time attendee Juan Garcia pocketed $400 after picking Without a Fight on a whim and planned to spend the unexpected windfall shouting drinks for family members.
"I just went to the betting spot and picked number three," Mr Garcia told AAP moments after the race.
Punters jostled for prime position at the racecourse with shaded spots in high demand on a day forecast to top 31C.
The Victoria Racing Club said 84,492 people were at Tuesday's Cup - a 15 per cent increase compared to last year.
Celebrities and fashionistas arrived early at the exclusive Birdcage enclosure, including English aristocrats Ladies Amelia and Eliza Spencer who dazzled in bright red dresses by Melbourne designer Cappellazzo Couture.
Matildas star Cortnee Vine said she was enjoying some downtime as she recovered from a hamstring injury and would not celebrate too hard in the marquees.
"Not too much dancing, but a lot of cheering," Vine told reporters.
Delta Goodrem chose a bright yellow dress in a nod to the colour of the Cup day rose and said she was excited to sing at the event again as it was close to her heart.
"I have very fond memories of being at school," Goodrem said.
"They would wheel the TV and everybody in the class would talk about what horse they were betting on - and I love tradition."
Over near the Mounting Yard, Gold Coast residents Ngarie Mackey and Donna Clarke soaked up the sun and took in the bustling atmosphere.
The pair took a cruise down from Sydney for what they described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"We're here for the champagne and the fashion," Ms Mackey told AAP with a smile.
"We didn't even know what horses were running until yesterday."
An all-star entertainment line up performed ahead of the race including Goodrem, former Noiseworks singer Jon Stevens and Natalie Imbruglia.
Vauban had been the favourite to win the world's richest two-mile horse race and attracted very large bets in the days leading up to the race, according to UK-based bookmaker and Star Sports owner Ben Keith.
"People were having (bets of) hundreds of thousands," he said.
Die-hard racing fan Pat Bortaro stationed himself right in front of the screens in the betting ring and said he was not impressed by the fashion or entertainment on offer.
"I hate it - I'm here for the horses," he said.
In 2003 the day recorded its highest track attendance when more than 122,000 spectators witnessed Makybe Diva win the first of her three cups.
However, 20 years on crowd sizes have dwindled with just 73,000 racegoers in 2022, the lowest since 1980.
Animal welfare concerns are increasingly in the spotlight, with the parallel Nup to the Cup event again taking place near the racecourse.
Three pro-Palestine protesters were pepper sprayed and four arrested after about 100 people staged a protest outside the racecourse, Victoria Police said.
The public holiday also coincided with Victoria decriminalising public drunkenness.
Police were highly visible, encouraging drunk people to seek support and referring cases to outreach teams instead of making arrests.
Outreach teams were helping drunk people reconnect with friends or family, providing public transport options, and offering to charge phones if they ran out of battery.
Police and paramedics can leave a drunk person alone if they refuse help and if it is deemed safe.
Australian Associated Press
