The morning’s weather had lured us into a false sense of security.
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With clear skies and brilliant sunshine, our greatest Cup Day fear was missing an exposed patch of skin while swiping on sunscreen.
But as the wind whipped up at around 12.45pm, we realised our mistake.
Thunder began to reverberate around the course, and the skies over Dowling Forest went ominously dark.
Claps of lightning prevented horses from entering the mounting yard, but it was a sign of worse to come.
Rain fell in sheets, with racegoers sprinting toward any semblance of cover. Food cart awnings became makeshift marquees, high heels were wrenched off to protect them from the mud, and platters of picnic food were thoughtlessly abandoned for the safety of cover.
Jockeys gathered outside the jockey’s room to watch the furious downpour, as fears about whether the meeting would continue began to spread.
After officials inspected the track following the 8mm bout of rainfall, they declared Cup Day would go ahead, albeit a little soggier than expected.
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