Goliath racehorse owner Lloyd Williams celebrated his fifth ‘Loving Trophy’ with market mover Almandin just heading the brave Irish raider Heartbreak City to win the Melbourne Cup 2016.

2016 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin handed owner Lloyd Williams his fifth win and jockey Kerrin McEvoy his second. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Williams enjoyed previous victories in the ‘race that stops a nation’ with: Just A Dash (1981), What A Nuisance (1985), Efficient (2007) and Green Moon (2012) before returning in the 156^th edition of the two mile classic with Almandin.

“It’s high on the agenda this one…quite emotional,” Williams said rating the 2016 Melbourne Cup win.

“They’ve done a fabulous job getting this horse back.

“We’ve got great staff up there…it’s super what they’ve done with him.”

The Robert Hickmott-trained son of Monsun won the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at just his 12^th career start, Williams and the team working to rehabilitate the import who spent nearly 18 months on the sidelines before his first run down under this winter.

It was the horse’s first Group 1 start and first look at the 3200m, Almandin making the Melbourne Cup field after winning the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) back on October 2.

“After it [Almandin] won the Cummings…we thought it had a real Melbourne Cup chance,” Williams added.

Almandin was the first seven-year-old Melbourne Cup winner since the mighty Makybe Diva (2005) won her record third race 11 years ago.

Winning Melbourne Cup jockey Kerrin McEvoy celebrated his second success in the world’s richest handicap, 16 years after his victorious ride aboard the Michael Moroney-trained Brew (2000).

It was a record Melbourne Cup result for McEvoy, the first hoop to have his winning rides in the famous Flemington Race 7 spaced so far apart.

“How lucky am I,” McEvoy said post-win.

“The elation’s unreal.

“He was well-prepared by Lloyd. He won in October and got into the race and he [Williams] just gave him a nice little freshen-up. Typical Lloyd knows what to do in these staying races.

“It’s just a dream to be here and win my second Cup.

“This horse is absolutely flying.

“Just a dream come true.

“I love these staying races. I love the Melbourne Cup.”

McEvoy kept his cool in the closing stages down the iconic Flemington straight, the final few hundred meters of the Melbourne Cup a brilliant two horse battle between Almandin and the Tony Martin-trained Heartbreak City – also a seven-year-old.

Rounding out the Melbourne Cup trifecta 2016 a notable distance back in third was the beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Hartnell; Fiorente (2013) still the only Melbourne Cup top fancy to salute for the punters since the aforementioned Makybe Diva (2005).

Almandin came from way back in the Melbourne Cup field to put himself in the winning position as did Heartbreak City, both veterans settling well off the hot pace set by the Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge and the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained Secret Number.

Hartnell meanwhile was running midfield with James McDonald on the back of the last start Cox Plate runner-up.

At the 1600m Secret Number went around Waterhouse’s runner and hit the front, keeping the speed on with Hartnell still seven lengths clear of the leader and the Caulfield Cup winner Jameka behind him on the rails.

It was a fiercely run Cup as the stayers approached the turn for home, Secret Number leading into the straight.

The two best in Melbourne Cup betting Hartnell and Jameka looked to be travelling sweetly as the winning post approached, before Martin’s last start Ebor Handicap winner Heartbreak City and his hoop – the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira – started to really let down.

He and Almandin hit the front, the latter on the outside where the Melbourne Cup Day winners had been successful from all day.

Eventually Almandin ($11) just nosed out Heartbreak City ($19) for the winning 2016 Melbourne Cup quinella – that paid $119.80 for the Victorian punters at Ladbrokes.com.au.

Hartnell was just off them in an improved run from last year’s Melbourne Cup result for the Godolphin galloper.

Check out the full Melbourne Cup 2016 results and finishing order below, as well as checking how your Melbourne Cup selections went online at Ladbrokes.com.au.

2016 Melbourne Cup Results & Finishing Order

Flemington Race 7 – 02/11/2016