Twenty-four hours on from their stunning win, Kiwi connections are still basking in the glory of New Zealand's success in Australia's greatest horse race.
Locally bred Verry Elleegant etched her name among the greats, with a dominant win in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, delighting Kiwi owners, as well as the trainer and jockey.
But the man who calls the shots on the mighty mare has revealed just how close she came to not running in the race at all, before the stars aligned for a trans-Tasman raid.
The euphoria on the face of jockey James McDonald matched the emotions from the trainer Chris Waller.
"It's a race that I dreamed about and James would have dreamed about as a child, growing up back in New Zealand, both of us," says an emotional Waller. "For Verry Elleegant to win it, I'm pretty proud."
After delivering such a dominant performance, it's hard to believe she nearly didn't run in the race at all. Asked to carry 57kg under the conditions of the race, Waller had all but decided against a start.
"She probably couldn't win with that weight," he says. "Most horses can't."
Everything changed last Saturday.
"She was very well, she was bouncing and I said, 'Let's give it a shot'," says Waller. "It was probably one of the best decisions I've made."
Not only that, McDonald was never meant to ride Verry Elleegant. He was booked on another horse, but when it was scratched last week, he needed a ride.
"If we're going to run, we might as well put James on - and the rest is history."
For McDonald, this was an emotional win.
"I wish COVID wasn't on, because my parents could be here," he said afterwards. "My brother, he'll be watching."
On Wednesday, his family were bursting with pride.
"I just couldn't believe it," mum Dianne McDonald told SEN Track Radio. "I ended up on the floor with my head in the carpet, having a cry to myself.
"It was really emotional, I just never could believe it would happen.
"He's actually a wonderful son - not just a great jockey, but a wonderful son."
Says brother Luke: "I can't describe it, it's a massive dream come true for the family and our friends.
"Just being his brother is a huge privilege and we're just super proud of him."
They're proud not just of the win, but the adversity he's overcome, after serving an 18-month ban in 2018.
"When he came back, he was coming back with a vengeance," says Luke McDonald. "He wanted to make an impact and he has done."
The comeback is well and truly complete, with the help of a verry good Kiwi mare.
