Sydney’s leading lady of racing Gai Waterhouse has secured her spot in the Melbourne Cup hall of fame becoming the first female Australian trainer to prepare a Melbourne Cup winner with her race favourite Fiorente saluting for the punters at Flemington today, November 5, 2013.

2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente handed trainer Gai Waterhouse with her first 'Loving Trophy'. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

Waterhouse had come close three times before preparing a trio of runners-up in the ‘race that stops a nation’ including 12 months ago when European import Fiorente made their Australian debut finishing second to Green Moon.

For the 2013 edition of the $6 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) the Monsun stallion jumped favourite and despite a number of hoodoos, saluted for the punters defeating two Northern Hemisphere-trained raiders Red Cadeaux and Mount Athos.

“It was quite a solidly run race and he just kept tracking up and kept tracking up,” Waterhouse said speaking of her maiden Melbourne Cup winner.

“It’s a dream come true.

“I’m just so thrilled for everyone.

“Isn’t it nice to have a favourite that can do that.”

Waterhouse put top jockey Damien Oliver aboard the six-year-old and it proved a winning combination, Oliver securing his third Melbourne Cup trophy having earlier ridden Media Puzzle (2002) and Doriemus (1995).

As cool and calm as ever, Oliver equaled Glen Boss on three Melbourne Cup victories and now sits just one short of the all-time jockey record.

“It was amazing,” Oliver said post-win.

“It’s a bit like having a Christmas present and not being able to open it.

“I’ve been really excited about this horse.

“It’s a dream come true…it’s really hard to believe.

“I’m wrapped I could be a part of Gai’s first one.

“She’s done so much for racing and it’s a great honour for me.”

Boss also was the one to ride the last Melbourne Cup favourite to salute with Makybe Diva who won her third back in 2005, ridden all three times by Bossy.

It was a sensational and perfectly timed ride by the hoop of the moment Oliver today, who now boasts 98 Group 1 wins and 10 majors, but he couldn’t have done it without a powerhouse galloper under him.

“There’s nothing better than winning this one,” he said.

“It’s every jockey’s dream come true.

“It’s really a special moment.”

And what a star today’s Melbourne Cup winner is.

With the victory Fiorente became the first horse since Brew (2000) to have run in the previous year’s Melbourne Cup unsuccessfully only to return and take out Australian racing’s greatest prize the following spring.

They had the barrier to win with gate five, which also produced last year’s winner Green Moon, from which they were quickly away from when the stalls went up.

Oliver was patient with the horse and kept them locked away from a great gate.

From the 800m mark to the top of the straight he picked the perfect path, kept the moment up and popped to the top waiting to strike before charging down the frontrunners.

“I just let the pace go and let him be happy,” Oliver said.

“He moved into the race beautifully on the turn and it was just a matter of holding him off and he was too strong.”

Also very brave in the 153^rd running of the great race was Ed Dunlop’s British galloper Red Cadeaux.

The Cadeaux Genereux gelding finished a whisker away second in the 2011 Melbourne Cup behind the French-trained Dunaden in the closest ever finish in Melbourne Cup history.

They returned last year but could only manage to run eighth.

This year however the eight-year-old was firing on all cylinders and looked likely of scoring a massive Melbourne Cup boilover when hitting the front on the home straight after traveling wide with 2010 winning jockey Gerald Mosse (Americain) aboard.

Fioretne however moved up to challenge, hitting the front over the final few hundred metress, and the duo of former Melbourne Cup runners-up went stride for stride fighting it out towards the line.

Luca Cumani’s fifth placegetter from last year, Mount Athos, also started to move up on the inside from their earlier position of fourth on the outside with Australia’s Craig Williams in the saddle.

But Fiorente had the finishing burst to put them away, drawing clear to salute for Waterhouse and the favourite backers winning by just under a length.

Mount Athos was two and a quarter lengths off the winner while William Mullins’ fast finishing Irish raider Simenon was fourth a length ahead of the Marco Botti-trained Caulfield Cup runner-up Dandino.

See below for the full Melbourne Cup results 2013 and finishing order.

Then check how your bets went online at Ladbrokes.com.au who paid double the fixed win odds on the field meaning lucky punters could have secured Fiorente to win for as long as $15!

2013 Melbourne Cup Results & Finishing Order

Flemington Race 7 – 05/11/2013