O'Brien's to the fore in Melbourne Cup as Coolmore claims second spot behind Joseph

Joseph O'Brien is the toast of Melbourne once more after his horse Twilight Payment riden by Jye McNeil held off the late charge of Tiger Moth, trained by his father Aidan at Ballydoyle.

The race was sadly marred by the death of 2019 Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck after he sustained a fractured fetlock, the seventh death in the race in the last eight years. The Aidan O'Brien-trained four-year-old broke down in the race and is a big blow to the Coolmore stable.

This was Joseph's second Melbourne Cup win following on from Rekindling in 2017, and Twilight Payment was in front throughout and could not be caught by Tiger Moth, while Charlie Fellowes trained Prince Of Arran followed up the O'Brien's into third place.

With no spectators and owners in attendance due to Covid-19 restrictions 'the race that stops a nation' took place without the usual pageantry in its 160th year, but the recent domination of British and Irish-trained runners continued, with the result mirroring the outcome of the 2017 running when Rekindling beat Aidan O'Brien's Johannes Vermeer.