Party and barbecue-goers were bigger drink-driving culprits on Melbourne Cup day than race-goers with police catching a spate of drivers trying to sneak home via back streets.
Police caught 15 drink drivers during Operation Backdoor, part of its Cup Day booze bus blitz aimed at drivers around St Kilda trying to leave through back streets.
During the operation police breath-tested about 900 drivers with 15 drivers above the legal limit.
The highest blood alcohol reading around St Kilda was a 42-year-old man with 0.223.
A P-plate driver, aged 22, from Caulfield had a reading of 0.174.
Only five out of 3,245 drivers tested in and around Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday were caught above the limit.
The highest blood alcohol reading recorded around the racetrack was 0.11 per cent.
Police also detected other offences including unlicensed drivers, unregistered vehicles, and non-roadworthy vehicles, Sergeant Bob Hope from the Port Phillip Traffic Management Unit told reporters.
Police also praised the behaviour of the 102,000 people who attended the Melbourne Cup.
They reported arresting 13 people for drunkenness and ejecting 52 others from the course for excessive drinking or offensive behaviour.
No assaults were reported but there was a small number of bag thefts and pickpocketing offences, Superintendent Jock Menzell said.
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