The strongest contingent of European stayers ever assembled for the Melbourne Cup was thwarted by the man acknowledged as the best there is - Bart Cummings.Bart Cummings stretched his record to 12 Cup victories when Viewed provided him with his 250th Group One triumph.It was close, with Bauer charging late to come within a nose, but it was not long before Viewed's number went up for an historic victory on the 50th anniversary of Cummings' first Cup runner, Asian Court who was unplaced.Punters cl

The strongest contingent of European stayers ever assembled for the Melbourne Cup was thwarted by the man acknowledged as the best there is - Bart Cummings.

Bart Cummings stretched his record to 12 Cup victories when Viewed provided him with his 250th Group One triumph.

It was close, with Bauer charging late to come within a nose, but it was not long before Viewed's number went up for an historic victory on the 50th anniversary of Cummings' first Cup runner, Asian Court who was unplaced.

Punters clamoured to back the international horses, with Mad Rush starting favourite at $5.50 ahead of Irish horse Septimus ($7).

Viewed drifted from $31 to $41.

Septimus and his Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemates Allesandra Volta and Honolulu worked to the front and set a solid pace with Blake Shinn settling Viewed in a comfortable position better than midfield.

At the top of the straight, the effort told on the Irish trio. Shinn took Viewed to the front and set off for home.

Bauer ($21) was steadily wearing him down but English trainer Luca Cumani had to settle for second again, 12 months after Efficient beat his Purple Moon.

C'est La Guerre ($21) a stablemate of Efficient, finished third two lengths away with Master O'Reilly ($26) fourth, Irish mare Profound Beauty ($9) a respectable fifth and Viewed's stablemate Moatize ($31) sixth.

"I knew they were making the pace for something and 50 yards from the post I woke up what it was and it nearly beat us," Cummings said.

"There's been so much talk about the international horses that they forgot about us."

Us includes Dato Tan Chin Nam, who has been with Cummings for decades and raced Think Big, the winner of the Cup in 1974 and 1975.

Viewed won the Brisbane Cup (2400m) in 2007 and while there were questions about the ability of many of the horses to run 3200 metres, Cummings was never in doubt.

"He is a strong stayer and we haven't seen the best of him yet," he said.

"He was unlucky in the Caulfield Cup and didn't have a lot of luck in the Mackinnon but things went right today.

"It is great to win this race. I've made a bit of a habit of it and it gets better. To win for my old friend is special and it was a great ride by Blake Shinn who is getting better and better.

"Chin Nam is a benevolent owner who never asks me to explain anything because he knows what we do is correct for the horses."

Among the first to congratulate Cummings were Cumani and Profound Beauty's trainer Dermot Weld, the only European to win the Melbourne Cup which he has done twice with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle (2002).

An emotional Shinn, who is a retained rider for the Gai Waterhouse stable in Sydney, has had much success with Cummings, but none greater than today.

"It is just such a thrill to win this race and to be a part of history," he said.

Being a part of Cummings' history was a dismal experience for Corey Brown on the runner-up. He also ran second on Mr. Prudent in Media Puzzle's Cup.

"I'm shattered. I've watched it a few times and there was nothing more I could have done," Brown said.

"It's my biggest disappointment, no doubt."

O'Brien, who has won 22 Group One races around the world this year, conceded the Coolmore team may have got things wrong with Septimus (18th), Alessandro Volta (20th) and Honolulu (21st and last), with Gallopin failing to complete the course after encountering breathing difficulties.

"We obviously got something wrong," O'Brien said.

"I don't know what it was. There may be things we have to do differently."

Cummings, who turns 81 next week, will not be doing things differently. It seems to be working.