Who says that because it hasn't rained, Flemington must be as hard as a rock to endanger champion horses that are prepared to give their all as they tackle the toughest race on Earth.

They gave us the opportunity to savour a sporting moment so special that for generations Australians will say, "I saw Makybe Diva the day she won her third Melbourne Cup".

Would it have been a day for the ages like Tuesday? Would anyone have cared? Within a year or so, how many of us would even remember the winner's name?

Has there ever been a Melbourne Cup that put more sunshine in our hearts? Writing in The Australian, columnist Patrick Smith declared: "This was not the perfect day because the Cup was not run on a perfect track."

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