Without a Fight has won this year's Melbourne Cup race.
The seven-year-old Gelding surged through the middle of the pack with 250m to go to take the race by two lengths, adding to an already big year for the Irish galloper.
After an impressive winter campaign in Queensland, featuring wins in the Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup and the $1.2m Q22, Without A Fight eased into the spring through the Underwood Stakes before grabbing victory in the Caulfield Cup.
With this afternoon's win, Without a Fight becomes the first horse to win both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup back-to-back since Ethereal in 2001.
It also means jockey Mark Zahra is a back-to-back Melbourne Cup winner, having won at Flemington Racecourse last year with Gold Trip.
"Unbelievable," Zahra said moments after the race.
"If I thought I could've had that run from 16 I would've said he was unbeatable but to the trainers' credit, to [trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman] and all their team, he was just an absolute gentleman for me today."
Zahra had the choice between competing with Without a Fight and Gold Trip for this year's race but said his decision was settled after talking to some good friends.
"The stars aligned for Gold Trip last year and they've aligned for this horse this year."
Fellow Irish galloper Serpentine led for the majority of the race before the field spread out on the final straight, allowing Zahra and Without a Fight to emerge in the middle and storm home unchallenged.
Race favourite Vauban was in the mix but faded late in the race to finish a disappointing 13th.
This year was the 163rd Melbourne Cup - an event known as the race that stops the nation in Australia although many Kiwis take an interest in it too.
There were 24 entries in this year's race although Irish horse Cleveland withdrew yesterday due to an elevated temperature which left him deemed not fit to take part in the 3200m sprint.
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