Jamie Melham pays emotional tribute to late grandfather after winning Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup champion Jamie Melham has paid tribute to her late grandfather after winning the biggest race of her career.

Melhman created history by riding Half Yours to victory in the $10 million race that stops the nation at Flemington on Tuesday.

A decade after Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the race that stops a nation, close friend Melham became the first to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.

Half Yours burst clear in a thrilling finish at Flemington for father-son training duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

Two-time winner Joseph O’Brien’s Goodie Two Shoes was second, with Ciaron Maher-trained Middle Earth third.

French raider Presage Nocturne was smashed into $5.50 favouritism before the race but finished a disappointing 19th.

Melhman was in tears after the race, struggling to come to terms with the enormity of what she had just achieved.

“What just happened? Oh my god,” she told Channel 9.

“This is what we do it for, this is why we get out of bed every morning at 4am.”

“This is what we work our arses for the last 15 years in the industry.

“It’s tough, it’s not all glorious and perfect as everyone can see sometimes.

“I’ve had an amazing year, got married, had some really great days on the track but never compares to this feeling with how I’m feeling.”

Melham then paid tribute to her grandfather, who died last week.

“I have to mention my grandpa ... The last thing he watched was the Caulfield Cup, he was such a big supporter of mine,” she said.

“He was up there, opening those gaps for me, because I needed a few gaps opened then.

“My mum and dad are here, they’ve put up with all my shit the last few years, and my beautiful husband (Ben Melham).”

Melham enjoyed a nice moment with husband Ben on the track before revealing how her mount stormed past Ben’s Smokin’ Romans.

“I wanted to ride him as quiet as I could and at the 400 ... I had to let him go,” Melham said.

“There was a tight gap and I said, ‘Move over Ben, I’m coming through’.

“The next gap was extremely tight and I had no say. My horse just took me through it.

“Then he had to produce the finish and the team have just got him the fittest I’ve ever seen this horse.”

Half Yours was the only Australian-bred horse in this year’s capacity Cup field of 24, with seven nations represented.

The son of bargain-priced sire St Jean became the 13th horse in history to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.

Payne, who rode 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance to a famous victory in 2015, featured in the pre-race ceremony and was reduced to tears after Melham’s victory.

“I’ve got tears in my eyes,” Payne said on Nine.

“It’s just the most incredible feeling and for Jamie, who deserves it, it just couldn’t be better.”

- With AAP