Third gold for workhorse Meares

The host nation won four golds altogether on the final night of the three-day event at Hisense Arena, with Meares also taking out the 500m time trial, Shane Perkins successfully defending his sprint title and the 4000m team pursuit squad posting the fastest time ridden in Australia.

Kaarle McCulloch also won the keirin silver behind Meares, a result that put Australia well clear on top of the medal tally with seven golds medals from the 12 events.

Meares won more gold medals at this event than any other country - Great Britain was next on the medal tally with two.

Meares' two titles on Saturday came a day after she had a breakthrough success in the sprint, where she set a national record in qualifying and then beating arch-rival Victoria Pendleton in the final.

Her imposing form in the keirin, an event where she has rarely dominated, is also encouraging ahead of the London Olympics.

While the 500, Meares' pet event, is no longer an Olympic event, the sprint and keirin are on the London program.

Meares dominated the keirin final with a simple but devastating tactic - leading the field and then ramping up the speed until no-one could pass her.

But Meares had to dig deep at the end of a busy schedule at this Cup round.

"I had that feeling where your leg or arm goes completely numb, then as it breaks out of the numbness, you get really painful pins and needles and you don't want to move - that's what I had on the last lap (of the final)," Meares said.

"I'm shattered right now.

"I've always had a great run in the Melbourne World Cups, it's always kicked off my season with great morale, a positive attitude and it can build really strongly."

Perkins added the exclamation mark to Australia's domination of this World Cup by narrowly beating British rider Jason Kenny in the third and final heat of their final to win the gold medal.

It is Perkins' third-straight win in the sprint at the Melbourne Cup round.

At the start of the Saturday night session, Meares won the 500 in 33.593 seconds. She finished strongly to narrowly beat Sandie Clair of France, who clocked 33.667.

In the other event decided on Saturday night, Spaniard Leira Olaberria won the women's omnium and Australian Melissa Hoskins was seventh.

Day Three results:

Women's 500m Time Trial:

1. Anna Meares (AUS) 33.593, 2. Sandie Clair (FRA) 33.667, 3. Wai Sze Lee (HKG) 33.939

Women's Keirin:

1. Anna Meares (AUS), 2. Kaarle McCulloch (Jayco/AUS), 3. Clara Sanchez (FRA)

Men's Sprint:

1. Shane Perkins (Jayco/AUS), 2. Jason Kenny (GBR), 3. Teun Mulder (NED)