Cross Counter has ended two decades of Melbourne Cup frustration for Godolphin in winning Australia’s greatest horse race.

On a rain-affected track and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy for trainer Charlie Appleby, Cross Counter defeated Marmelo and A Prince Of Arran in an all-northern hemisphere finish.

One of the most influential racing operations in the world, the Sheikh Mohammed-backed stable has been trying to win the Melbourne Cup since 1998.

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