Thousands of racegoers braved four seasons in a single day as they flocked to Flemington for day three of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Crown Oaks Ladies’ Day attendees refused to let an afternoon downpour ruin their good mood as the party continued well into the day.
While the morning started out sunny, the sky quickly darkened as the Bureau of Meteorology warned of a possible storm.
However, revelers made the most of their day and many dressed in purple in honor of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
Crown Oaks Ladies’ Day Attendees Ducked for Cover as the Sky Parted
Everyone smiles! Thousands of revelers made the most of the day at the Oaks, despite the poor weather.
The place covered with grass that little by little turned into mud did not stop those attending the race from celebrating hard.
Who needs an umbrella? Several attendees got creative once the rain started pouring.
Cheese! Attendees were all smiles despite the bad weather.
Revelers who remembered to bring an umbrella were grateful as rain spread across Flemington on Thursday afternoon.
While an umbrella is typically the preferred cover for racegoers, some attendees used whatever they could find to protect their outfits.
Revelers refused to let rain ruin the festivities
Crown Oaks Day is traditionally known for its pink dress code.
But this year the pink rose was replaced by the purple rose as the official flower of the event.
Many attendees paid homage to tradition, although many chose to accentuate their carefully crafted outfits with pink accents.
However, by far the most popular accessory was the umbrella or poncho.
Those caught in the rain were seen running for cover or using anything nearby, from jackets to picnic blankets, to protect themselves from getting wet.
The rain caught some racegoers off guard and many were forced to use picnic blankets as cover.
The ladies looked their fashion best with the winners of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition announced on Thursday.
Many revelers ran for shelter after the rain began, leaving only the most dedicated fans to brave the weather.
The rain was not to everyone’s liking, fortunately the drizzle eased as the afternoon progressed.
Many attendees paid tribute to the traditional Oaks Day color: pink!
Well-prepared racegoers brought umbrellas and raincoats.
Michelle Payne and 2024 Caulfield Cup winning jockey Harry Coffey led a Guard of Honor at Flemington’s Mounting Yard after the fifth race and the Crown Resorts Foundation donated $500 for each jockey who took part.
Treasurethe Moment won the Group One 2500m race and became the 39th filly to complete the Wakeful Stakes/Crown Oaks double.
“It’s 20 years of work trying to accomplish something like this,” coach Matt Laurie said.
‘I am very grateful to my team at home and to the Yulong team. They’ve supported me, she’s homebred and seeing her progress to win Group 1 is incredible.’
Thousands of revelers on Thursday refused to let the rain ruin their fun.
Pretty in pink: Many Oaks Day attendees wore pink in honor of the day’s long tradition
Racegoers huddled under umbrellas once rain hit Flemington on Thursday.
The long day was too much for some revelers and many opted to kick off their heels and soak up the sun.
Glamorous racing fans braved the rain for Crown Oaks Day at Flemington on Thursday
The crowd had fun on Crown Oaks Day, day three of the Melbourne Cup Carnival
There was also plenty of action off the track with the announcement of the winners of the Best Dressed and Best Suit categories of the Melbourne Cup’s Carnival Fashions on the Field competition.
Special guests Elizabeth Hurley, her son Damian Hurley and ARIA Award-winning singer Samantha Jade were on the judging panel with a record prize pool of more than $370,000 up for grabs.
The Best Dressed and Best Suit categories each had more than $111,000 in prizes, with the overall winners receiving $20,000 in cash along with prizes from Penfolds, Schweppes, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, TAB and TCL Electronics.
Revelers will have the chance to head to Flemington again on Saturday for the TAB Champions Stakes Day, concluding the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Racing fans returning to Flemington on Saturday for the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival are expected to be better prepared for the weather.
Crown Oaks Day attendees were all smiles despite the bad weather
Sunbathing: Attendees enjoyed the morning sun while it lasted
Floral fashion hid under raincoats as racegoers did their best to stay dry.
The winners smile! Dancing revelers weren’t worried about grass turning to mud on Thursday
Prepared attendees were able to enjoy the racing on the track while others were forced to hide from the rain under cover.
Flemington’s undercover areas quickly filled up as revelers escaped the rain.
