A last minute punt on Tuesday's Melbourne Cup race has paid up big for one lucky Matua resident who won more than $20,000 on the race.

Alan, who did not wish to have his last name published, was one of about 100 people at the Matua Bar on Tuesday when he decided to grab a $6 easy bet just minutes before the big race.

Matua Bar owner Andy Craw with Alan's winning easy bet ticket.

The trifecta came in scoring the 70-year-old retiree a cool $20,500 – half the total $41,000 trifecta.

'I had a $2 each way on two other horses and took the trifecta just before the start of the race.

'It was very unexpected – I didn't actually know until about five minutes after the race, I didn't even look at it until all of the results were out.”

Alan was too busy following his pick for the winner No.11 to check his ticket, leaving it in his pocket until the celebrations subsided.

'I kept it in my pocket and thought oh I better check that.

'Then I looked at the ticket to see what was in it.”

Winner Green Moon ridden by Hong-Kong based Brett Prebble followed by Fiorente and Jakkalberry was a surprise for Alan, who says he hadn't picked any of them in the bets.

The next day Alan headed to the Tauranga TAB to collect his winnings where he was told he is one of only a handful of people to claim more than $20,000 of this year's Melbourne Cup race.

He has no plans for the money quite yet, but says it will be sitting in the bank waiting for a rainy day.

'I always have a dabble in the Melbourne Cup, the odd dollar each way bets.”

The bar on Tilby Drive was packed with punters enjoying the Melbourne Cup festivities on Tuesday night.

Owner Andy Craw says the bar usually has between 50 – 60 customers, but on that night there were more than 100.

'The atmosphere was just electric. We never in a million years thought we could pull that sort of crowd – it was great.

'There were syndicates and sweepstakes going. It was a great night.”