POINT OF LAW, KING CHARLES'S FORMER HORSE, WINS MELBOURNE CUP

Point of Law, ridden by jockey Ethan Brown, won the 166th Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday, in front of around 90,000 spectators under sunny skies. The horse was formerly owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla before being sold. Trainer Ciaron Maher's camp said it was Maher's mother who convinced the King to sell Point of Law. The victory earned a prize reported at £5.3m ($10.2m). Crowds packed the racecourse for what is billed as "the race that stops a nation."

Singer Robbie Williams performed at the event's opening ceremony, playing Angels, Rock DJ and Let Me Entertain You as fans sang the songs back to him. He went on to give an extended 75-minute performance to close the festival. Bright outfits, sunshine and drinking added to a party atmosphere across the racecourse throughout the day. Organisers and attendees treated the race as the centrepiece of a broader day-long celebration rather than a single sporting contest.

Among the punters celebrating was Stephanie Artuso, from Melbourne, who won "hundreds" of dollars after correctly predicting the first three horses in the race. "I love it, I've wanted to come every year. 100 percent I'm coming back next year," she said, adding that she was considering trying her luck on the poker machines afterwards. Virginia Purdey, visiting from Daylesford, Victoria, also won money on the day. "I won $80! It's fantastic," she said.