Half a length last year, a nose this morning. Luca Cumani is getting closer to winning "the race that stops a nation" but the trainer's Bauer had to give best to a living legend when 80-year-old Bart Cummings won his 12th Melbourne Cup with 40-1 chance Viewed.

Bauer, part-owned by former Australian Test cricketer Simon O'Donnell, looked set to make up for Purple Moon's defeat 12 months ago when jockey Corey Brown brought the grey with a charge down the outside to run down Viewed but, with winning rider Blake Shinn not exactly holding back with his use of the whip, the pair failed by the minimum distance to land the £1.5 million first prize.

Bauer, named after the character Jack Bauer in the American hit series '24', was not even Cumani's main hope in the two-mile Group 1 contest but the Geelong Cup winner performed markedly better than seventh-placed favourite Mad Rush who "didn't quite stay the trip" according to jockey Damien Oliver.

Cumani was described as "a nice man" by Cummings, and the Newmarket handler was gracious in defeat. He said: "I can only get closer with a dead-heat and I'd have settled for that today. He (Cummings) is probably the best ever. Right now I'm just exhausted and frustrated."

The Cumani pair fared a lot better than Aidan O'Brien's trio of runners who, after setting off at a suicidal early pace, all faded to fill three of the last four finishing positions.

Cummings (right), who was also landing the 250th Group 1 victory of his career, appeared non-plussed at his latest win but will have took pleasure in denying a record number of overseas challengers after calling for a cap on the number of non-Australian or New Zealand horses allowed in the line-up.

He said: "It's nice to win a race like this at my age. I'm not really emotional, it's just another win.

"What a great day it's been. I do make a habit of winning this race and someone once told me it's a good habit to get into.

"It's also great to see the Aussies succeed."

O'Brien's three runners Septimus, Alessandro Volta and Honolulu effectively became pacemakers for the whole field as they set a strong gallop in the early stages and at one point were a ridiculous six lengths clear with Colm O'Donoghue rowing away furiously on Honolulu.

They were never likely to keep up the pace and the trio of jockeys were later asked to explain their rides to local stewards.

Shinn produced Viewed to take the lead just over two furlongs out and the five-year-old quickly opened up a gap on the rest of the field that only Bauer was able to bridge.

John Sadler's C'est La Guerre stayed on for third ahead of Master O'Reilly with Irish trainer Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty feeling the ground but running a great race to be fifth.

Shinn, the leading rider in Sydney after teaming up with Gai Waterhouse, was emotional at winning the big race. He said: "I'm gonna cry but I want to say thank you to Viewed.

"I got there way too early but he was travelling that strongly. When I pushed the button he had a very good turn of foot. To win a Melbourne Cup at only 21, I'm delighted and hopefully the best is yet to come from me."

Shinn was not the only one shedding tears as Bauer was a second Melbourne Cup runner-up for Brown who said: "I feel like crying."