Another international raider grabs the last automatic spot in the Melbourne Cup, with the Joseph O'Brien-trained Downdraft earning his spot with a win in the Hotham Handicap on Derby Day.

Besart Berisha of Western United FC runs with the ball during the Round 2 A-League match between Western United and Perth Glory at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong, Saturday, October 19,2019.

A court hears Harold Mitchell was "pushing" for Tennis Australia to sign a contract for the broadcast rights of the Australian Open with Channel 7 when he was the sports body's director in 2013.

Are you feeling torn about celebrating the Melbourne Cup today? We asked our ABC Messenger audience how they felt about the race that stops the nation and what they loved (and hated) about it.

Pastels and bold patterns are in this year, but is racing out? As the industry deals with issues around the treatment of horses, punters continue to embrace the Cup in dazzling style.

The 2019 Melbourne Cup has been won by Australian-owned, trained and bred horse Vow And Declare in a dramatic finish at Flemington, but last-placed Rostropovich is taken to Werribee with a pelvis injury.

The Australian Electoral Commission's solicitor tells a court it's "hard to imagine any adult citizen being so naive and gullible" to be influenced by Chinese-language signs telling people to vote Liberal, simply because they used AEC colours.

An array of Pacific Island communities converged on the Mackay Botanical Gardens last weekend to take part in the region's first Pasifika Festival. The event highlighted Mackay's diverse cultures by showcasing traditional artwork, food and performances.

Gippsland residents are enjoying conceptual and abstract art from Melbourne and revelling in local artist contributions along the way, in the exhibition Synthetica.

These fairground ponies have seen brighter days. They wait in the dry grass for a new generation of children to climb aboard and giggle with delight.

From its humble beginnings in the late 19th century, the Cairns Show has grown into a three day event that is one of the highlights on the social calendar for Cairns. The ABC Far North team ventured into the thick of the show this year to hear from the people who make it such an occasion.

Meagan Kite overcame a drug addiction and devastating house fire. Cheryl Norris struggled to find the truth about her ancestor, an Aboriginal woman called No Name. Their stories form part of a unique art project called Women's Stories on display in the Riverland.

One year ago, Jai Balmer was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. With help from Make-A-Wish Australia, Jai's dream of becoming an aviation photographer is more determined than ever.

Copier Jam is a new exhibition at the Childers Art Space. It brings the underground world of self-published zines out of the bedroom and into the light.

Natalie Holt has built a 'she shed' in the backyard of her Bangalow home.

Artist Daniel Fisher has swapped the rollercoaster life of drugs and depression for a smooth highway of parenthood and happy creativity.

There's more to shearing than just clipping wool, as these young hands learned at a shearing camp outside of Broken Hill.

The coast's best musical talent has been celebrated at the inaugural Gold Coast Music Awards night.

The idea was simple; find a spot in Australia with some of the best weather in the world, move there, and start brewing German beer.

On any given day in the small rural New South Wales town of Trundle, up to a dozen men can be found in an historic garage, tinkering on cars, passing on skills to younger men and taking turns pumping fuel. It's an interesting set up, but it works.

The plight of thousands of "blackbirds" is being highlighted in a short film and helping younger generations to understand the sacrifices of their relatives.

Locals have captured the unique beauty and brilliance of the Gold Coast for ABC Open's Snapped project.

Celebrities like Pink and touring shows like Cirque du Soleil are motivating people to take up the art of aerial acrobatics. Kayleigh McMullen has opened up her own school in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast and says it is attracting people of all ages.

For the first time in 10 years, the annual Queensland Variety Bash has departed from Cairns.

Hours of meticulous preparation go into every appearance on stage.

In the early hours of Friday morning when most people were waking and getting ready for work or school, 200 military personnel in north Queensland were close to finishing 24 hours of hard work.

From fast paced horses to tracking the blood moon, the skills of Tasmanian Photographic Federation members from around the state are now on display in an exhibition for the next few months.

Peter Aspinall fought in the battle of Long Tan. He is now President of the Albany RSL but for many years, he would not even attend an Anzac Day commemoration

Teams from Nambour hip hop school House of Sole have competed in the Hip Hop Internationals in San Diego, known as the Olympics of hip hop.

Young actors made up to look like accident victims experience the life-changing process of getting into character as they aim to reduce the youth road toll. Warning: This story contains graphic imagery and content that may upset some people.

The saddlery and produce business is a fixture of Bunbury. It has sat opposite the old railway station for 120 years and hardly seems to have changed at all.

An outback Queensland grazier has organised a fine art photography workshop in the tiny town of Yaraka as a way to not only improve her skills but to escape the harsh reality of drought for a weekend.

The message from volunteers at Toowoomba's largest op shop is that buying second-hand clothes is 'for everybody'.

After more than four decades, one Gold Coast fashion designer is closing her doors for good, leaving a lasting mark on the city.

At the far end of the campsite and caravan city in the Amamoor State forest at the Great Australian Music Hall, ABC Local Radio helped to kick off the 2015 Gympie Muster with the inaugural Muster Showcase. Eight different musical acts took to the stage giving gathered crowds a taste of what is to come at the four day music festival.

High school students from across Australia took part in a program called Fresh Faced Friday to promote positive body image amongst teenagers.

Photographer Jenny Ball's years of waiting have paid off, as her photos finally hang on the walls of the Wondai Regional Art Gallery.

Hare Krishna school, Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula, has gone from failing several NAPLAN categories to performing above the national average in all of them.

While their families celebrated back home, Papua New Guinean students marked the 40th anniversary of their country's independence from Australia with a colourful performance at TAFE Queensland North in Townsville.

The sound of soft chatter and the occasional clink as a ball is hit across the short green turf is what fills the air at the St Leonards Croquet Club in Launceston for part of the national championships of the sport.

An array of spectacular orchid displays attracted more than 2,500 people from across Queensland to the Australian Orchid Council conference and show in Mackay at the weekend.

The Mallee Park Peckers have taken out the 2015 A Grade football premiership in Port Lincoln, getting up over the Boston Tigers by 7 goals at Centenary oval.

Launceston Country Women's Association (CWA) shop in Launceston is celebrating 60 years of operation in 2015.

From late August every year, wildflowers blanket the south west corner of Western Australia. The ABC Great Southern's wildflower photo competition showcases the most beautiful blooms of the season, submitted by audience members.

Coffs photographer Dan Stewart won the local Pic of the Week competition with this magnificent photo of a rainbow.

When Jean-Luc Devere's elderly mum ran over his beloved motorbike, he thought it was time to reveal his love of the controversial Japanese subculture, Bosozoku. But he is reluctant to take it too seriously when he travels to Japan this year.

Visitors to the City of Greater Geraldton's council chambers earlier this week were greeted with a display of more than 200 pink silhouettes strategically placed on the grassed area near the main entrance .

Step inside one of the beautiful open gardens on show during the Renmark Rose Festival. Artemis and Harry Ppiros are Greek immigrants who kept their green thumbs busy after retiring from their Riverland fruit block.

There is no shortage of heritage to celebrate and preserve at the New Norcia Monastery in Western Australia's Mid West.

Ospreys living around the coastal town of Jurien Bay, around 220 km north of Perth, have recently been given some newly renovated nests thanks to some recycled communication dishes.