The New Zealand connection may have been small in the 2013 Melbourne Cup, but the interest from punters was as high as ever.

New Zealanders bet $NZ9.3 million ($A8.18 million) on the race that stops two nations, up one per cent on the $NZ8.62 million ($A7.59 million) spent on the race last year.

But NZ TAB head of betting Michael Dore says it could have been more, had it not been for a website glitch just before the race.

Dore told AAP a problem hit the TAB's website about 4.15pm, but it was resolved by 4.45pm - about 20 minutes before the start of the race.

There were no New Zealand-trained Melbourne Cup runners for a third consecutive year, but this year - for the first time since at least the 1940s - there were no New Zealand-bred runners.

That left the strongest New Zealand connections via trainers and jockeys.

Three horses were prepared by ex-New Zealand trainers: Hawkspur and Foreteller by former Foxton trainer Chris Waller, and Voleuse De Coeurs by Mike Moroney, who is based in Melbourne but also has stables in Matamata.

Voleuse De Coeurs (which finished 10th) and Hawkspur (20th) also had New Zealand jockeys - Hawkspur was ridden by double Melbourne Cup winner Jim Cassidy, while Voleuse De Coeurs was ridden by 21-year-old James McDonald, who was raised in Cambridge.

Foreteller ran home 17th in the race won by Gai Waterhouse-trained Fiorente.