Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip storms to victory in 2022 Melbourne Cup

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained horse stormed to the front with 300 metres to run and held off a host of fast-finishing runners to secure the victory.

Gold Trip carried 57.5 kilograms throughout the journey, the most since Makybe Diva saluted in 2005 with 58kg on her back.

Michael Moroney's Emissary was second, with Maher and Eustace's High Emocean third.

Favourite Deauville Legend loomed down the straight but faded to finish fourth.

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Jockey Mark Zahra produced a masterful ride to steer the gelding to victory and he was lost for words immediately after the race.

"I feel like crying," Zahra told Channel 10. "It's unbelievable, what a day.

"I thought I got to the front a bit soon but he's a horse that when you go for it, I really want to go for it. Don't give him a chance to think about it.

"That last 100, I was thinking, 'Just piss off, no one come near me'. It was just elation, absolute elation to cross the line."

The result was just Gold Trip's second win, having previously won a Group 2 in Lyon in June 2020.

The gelding was purchase by Australian Bloodstock last August with the 2021 Melbourne Cup in mind, but it took almost a year for the horse to make it to the races in Australia.

His domestic career started with a third-place finish in the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill in July.

From there, the French import was solid in his next two starts before an impressive second as top weight in the Caulfield Cup.

Maher and Eustace made the unusual decision to back Gold Trip up seven days later in the Cox Plate and while the move was questioned my some pundits at the time, it proved a master stroke.

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"It's a dream come true and I'm just thrilled," Maher said. "It was a fantastic effort by the whole team. He's quite dicey this horse and my farrier has done a fantastic job. To run in three of the big ones and have him present in the Cup like that, it was fantastic.

"We had a plan going out there for Mark, he was very good on him in the Caulfield Cup. We just wanted to wait, wait, wait. We know he's got that good turn of foot and he was fantastic, Mark."

Tuesday's win caps a remarkable redemption story for Zahra after he was banned from last year's spring carnival for attending an illegal gathering during Victoria's COVID lockdown.

The suspension saw him miss out on the ride of eventual winner Verry Elleegant, a situation that had a profound impact on the jockey.

Twelve months later and Zahra can revel in the emotions he missed out on last year.

"Twelve months ago, I felt terrible," Zahra said. "I was probably drinking my way out of it. [Wife] Elyse was saying 'Don't drink too much'. I was saying 'What else do you want me to do? My horse has just won the Melbourne Cup, I could've ridden it'.

"It hasn't slipped my mind. I think about it all the time that I could've ridden her.

"It's redemption day today, it's just a miracle."