Almandin and Heartbreak City deliver rousing send-off for grandstand

There could hardly have been more fine a contest nor more fitting a winner at the end of what will be the final Melbourne Cup staged at Flemington before the old members grandstand is torn down and replaced by a stunning new $128 million centrepiece.

The old structure has seen some wonders during its 92 years, from Phar Lap to Might And Power, Bart Cummings to the great Makybe Diva.

To those names add Lloyd Williams, the proud local owner who loves winning his city's most treasured prize so much he has now done so five times, more than anybody else in the race's 156-year history.