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MELBOURNE, September 07 (AFP) - Legendary Australian trainer Bart Cummings won his 12th Melbourne Cup when Viewed nosed out English stayer Bauer in a thrilling photo finish in Australia`s pinnacle horse race at Flemington here on Tuesday. Despite a strong contingent of seven overseas challengers, headed by Ireland`s Septimus and race favourite Mad Rush, it was Cummings`s five-year-old galloper who clung on by a nose to claim the 5.5 million dollar (3.6 million US) race. Viewed (40-1), ridden for dear life inside the final 200m (furlong) by 21-year-old Blake Shinn, denied Newmarket trainer Luca Cumani his first Melbourne Cup success with Bauer (20-1) in the 3200m (two mile) handicap race. Australian-owned five year-old C`est La Guerre (20-1) was two lengths away third. Cummings, who won the first of his 12 Melbourne Cups with Light Fingers in 1965, has iconic status in Australian thoroughbred racing and yet again defied predictions of a clean sweep by the more fancied European stayers to claim his 250th Group One win. "There`s been so much talk about the international horses that they forgot about us," Cummings said. Cummings, who turns 81 later this month, had his last Melbourne Cup triumph in 1999 with Rogan Josh .

Legendary Australian trainer Bart Cummings won his 12th Melbourne Cup when Viewed, seen here, nudged out English stayer Bauer in a thrilling photo finish in Australia`s pinnacle horse race at Flemington

"Someone told me I do make a habit of winning this race and I said it was a good habit to get into," Cummings said. "I feel very sorry for Luca Cumani as the runner-up, but it`s great to see the Aussies succeed. I thought it might have been a dead heat it was that close." An emotional Shinn said it was one of the greatest moments in sport to ride a Melbourne Cup winner. "To create history and ride the winner of the Melbourne Cup is just what I have dreamed of for a long time," he said. "To win the Melbourne Cup for a living legend in the sport like Bart Cummings is a great thrill and I thank him very much for giving me the opportunity to ride Viewed today." It was the fourth Cup win for Viewed`s owner, former Malaysian banker Dato Tan Chin Nam, who has teamed with Cummings in each of his wins but said he was happy with four and has won "enough". The Aidan O`Brien-trained Irish St Leger winner Septimus (6-1) enjoyed an easy run behind pacesetting stablemate Alessandro Volta (40-1) to the home turn, but jockey Johnny Murtagh began riding him vigorously and he was the first horse beaten .

Shinn dashed Viewed to the front inside the final 400m and looked to have the race won before Bauer, urged on by Corey Brown, made his late charge. Bauer looked set to wear down Viewed in the final stages but Shinn got just enough out of the five-year-old to win by the shortest possible margin. Bauer was bidding to become only the fourth overseas winner of Australia`s greatest horse race following earlier wins by Vintage Crop (1993), Media Puzzle (2002) and Delta Blues (2006). "Once they flashed past the post together I was just hoping that he was in front," Cumani said. "There was absolutely nothing in it. I couldn`t be happier for the horse. It was incredible how he ran." Cumani`s leading contender and 9-2 race favourite Mad Dash, ridden by top local hoop Damien Oliver, finished seventh. It proved a nightmare for Irish trainer O`Brien, who had three runners in the race and was chasing his 23rd Group One win of the year, headed by Septimus, yet all finished well down the track. Septimus, who romped away with the Irish St .

Leger by 13 lengths last September, finished 18th, Alessandro Volta 20th and Honolulu (20-1), third to the home turn, was officially last. "We obviously got something wrong," O`Brien said. "I don`t know what it was. There may be things we have to do differently." The Dermot Weld-trained mare, Profound Beauty (8-1), was just out of the placegetters in fifth place.