Jamie Melham became only the second woman jockey to win the Aus$10 million (US$6.5 million) Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, steering Half Yours to victory in Australia's "race that stops a nation".

The five-year-old gelding pulled clear in the final stretch on a soft track to outpace Goodie Two Shoes and Middle Earth by 1.5 lengths in the energy-sapping 3,200-metre (two-mile) handicap at Flemington.

"Oh my God, this is what we do it for," said Melham, formerly Kah, who came third last year aboard Okita Soushi and won the Caulfield Cup on the all-Australian Half Yours in her last ride.

Melham is the first woman to win the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double.

"This is why we get up out of bed every morning at 4am, it's tough, it's not all glorious and perfect as everyone can see sometimes," she

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