At Flemington in Melbourne yesterday, NZ-based Rich Hill Stud stallion Pentire (Be My Guest-Gull Nook, by Mill Reef) celebrated an elite Gr1 success when 6YO New Zealand-bred gelding Prince Of Penzance (Pentire-Royal Successor, by Mr. Prospector) scored a shock half length win at odds of 100-1 for trainer Darren Weir and jockey Michelle Payne in the $6 million Gr1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) for 3YO+, over 6YO French-bred gelding Max Dynamite (Great Journey-Mascara, by Monsun) & 5YO entire Criterion (Sebring-Mica's Pride, by Bite the Bullet). Winning trainer Darren Weir, celebrating his first Melbourne Cup win, paid tribute to his staff and to the horse's owners and, of course, to Prince Of Penzance himself, who had overcome plenty of adversity in his career (including a bout of colic) to win Australia's greatest race. "It's an unbelievable feeling; you've got to pinch yourself a bit. This is a lifetime dream come true," an emotional Weir told Racing.com. "I'll enjoy it with these blokes [the owners and staff] for sure. I can't thank them enough and this...it's the most unbelievable thing to happen to anyone. It all started with this dream to win a Melbourne Cup and Sandy McGregor, a mate of mine, offered to put the money up, and the rest is history." He added: "He's an amazing horse. He'd had two joint surgeries, then when he was about to come back into work he got a twisted bowel and a colic operation – what an amazing horse." Prince Of Penzance, who was purchased by esteemed bloodstock agent John Foote for NZ$50,000 at the 2011 NZB Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Rich Hill Stud, took his record to 7 wins (including the Gr2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup) and 8 placings (including the Gr1 Moonee Valley Cup & Gr2 Zipping Classic) from 24 starts for $4,405,690 earnings.