Racing: Phar Lap the greatest Cup winner

Skeleton (left) and hide of Phar Lap on display. Photo / Supplied

Eighty years after his Melbourne Cup win, South Canterbury horse Phar Lap has been saluted again as the rightful winner of the Greatest Cup Never Run.

The great racehorse won the virtual race to celebrate the Melbourne Cup's 150th year, heading home the field of the 24 best winners of Australia's biggest race.

The crowd of around 100,000 at Flemington cheered Big Red home on every television on the course as the 1930 Cup winner hauled in 1890 champion Carbine 50m from the post to win by half a length, while triple winner Makybe Diva was another length back in third.

In a field selected by chief handicapper Greg Carpenter and an outcome determined by the votes of 24 experienced racing figures, Phar Lap made his move with about 150m to go.

- AAP