It takes something special for a crowd estimated at about 105,000 to collectively hush. But hush they did for as long as three minutes at Flemington yesterday as judge Bill Quin pored over the photo finish between Dunaden and Red Cadeaux following yesterday's 151st Melbourne Cup.
''That's the closest finish I've had,'' said Quin, who has been judge of the Melbourne Cup for 12 years.
''I doubt there has ever been a closer Cup finish. We thought the Bauer photo was close a few years ago [2008], but that was nothing compared to this. It may have taken 40 seconds [before we decided on the winner] but this one was between two and three minutes. I don't think you can get much closer.''
For just the second time in his career as the ultimate adjudicator of Australian racing's most famous race, Quin reached for the magnifying glass when Dunaden and Red Cadeaux went to the line together at the end of a gruelling 3200m.
''Bauer was beaten a nose, the same margin as this one, but this was so close to being a dead heat. You want to be able to split them and thankfully we could,'' he said.
It wasn't just the winning margin that had Quin poring over the photo. In all there were an amazing eight margins of a nose and many thousands rode on each decision. There was a nose between third placegetter Lucas Cranach and fourth-placed Americain, a nose between fifth-placed Manighar and sixth-placed Lost In The Moment and a further nose back to seventh-placed Fox Hunt. Eighth-placed Niwot had a nose margin over ninth-placed Unusual Suspect.
''There is big money on the line right through to 10th place so there was a fair bit of pressure but fortunately we were able to find margins all the way through,'' Quin said.
Yesterday's race, featuring 11 European-trained gallopers and in all, 16 international horses, was a further turn of the evolution wheel for the richest handicap in the world.
It took the Melbourne Cup 132 years to grow up and another 18 years before it reached international recognition as the best staying race in the world, but yesterday its evolution was finally complete. The race finally put to bed the rule book that has for so many years dictated who can win the great race.
The prolonged climax was a fitting end to a race that had it all. For the second year in a row, the Cup went to France when Quin decided that Dunaden had a margin, albeit ever so slight, over Red Cadeaux.
That the winning rider Christophe Lemaire saluted at his first ride at Flemington was enough for the historians to reach for the record books but the fact that he was only officially booked for the ride 23 hours before the race and just three hours after arriving in Melbourne added further to the drama.
Just to ensure a Hollywood-style flavour to the occasion the jockey he replaced, Craig Williams, was at the movies when the race was decided but soon began to realise what he had missed out on as his mobile phone started to ring and kept ringing.
Williams's attempt at becoming the first rider to win all three spring majors was thwarted a day earlier when he lost an application for a stay of proceedings over a careless riding charge from Bendigo last Wednesday.
Lemaire, who has known Williams for some years when Williams was trying his luck overseas, knew that his joy was only being matched by Williams's pain.
''Of course I feel very disappointed for him,'' Lemaire said.
''He must be devastated because the Melbourne Cup in this country is a dream and he missed it.''
Lemaire himself was a little stunned by what had taken place since he flew into Melbourne from Japan yesterday.
He knew of the Melbourne Cup and heard it was a race that transfixed a nation, but still he was not prepared for the pre-race hype and the post-race celebration.
''I have heard of the Melbourne Cup but you've got to see it to believe it because of the crowd, the atmosphere, the passion you can feel in the race is something special.''
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