Melbourne Cup photos: Rain no dampener for Flemington Racecourse crowd spirits

Cold and drizzly conditions have done nothing to dull the revelry and glamour at Melbourne Cup as punters arrived early to nab the best spots trackside.

Racegoers clad in bright dresses, loud hats and sharp suits rushed through the gates of Flemington Racecourse early on Tuesday, more than six hours out from the famous race.

Friends Tiffany Price, Linda Kerr and Tamara Farrelly were overjoyed with the atmosphere after cruising down from Sydney to attend the race for the first time.

Clad in sleeveless dresses, the trio quickly came up with a plan to stay warm: drink plenty of beer.

“It’s about the look, not about how cold you are,” Ms Price told AAP.

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While many men took the chance to flex their fashion muscles, Wayne Fernance left his outfit up to his wife and ended up with a bright purple, $60 suit from online marketplace Temu.

“My wife loves purple, so I went with purple,” he said with a laugh.

Fashionista Geannie Todaro used leftover fabric from her daughter’s wedding dress to create a striking look that she entered into the annual Fashions on the Field competition.

“If you can wear it down the street, it’s not race wear so for race day we go all out,” she said.

“Please god the rain will hold off, but if not the umbrella is really coming handy.”

Weather protection was a popular accessory for many with Flemington forecast to reach a top of 17C with 9mm of rain.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said sunshine was expected in the late morning but showers would sweep across Melbourne in the afternoon.

“Race time looks to be on a little bit of a knife edge, we’re anticipating quite a few showers before the race,” he said.

Punters in high heels carefully navigated soggy grass at the track, as helicopters buzzed overhead ferrying VIP guests to the exclusive Birdcage.

Inside, 2015 Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne was expected to make an appearance with her brother Stevie, who acted as strapper when Prince Of Penzance roared to victory a decade ago.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop, MasterChef judge Melissa Leong and media personality Bec Judd were among the high-profile guests in the luxurious marquees filled with sports stars, socialites and titans of industry.

Greta Bradman, granddaughter of cricketing great Sir Donald Bradman, will perform the national anthem just before the main race at 3pm.

Attendance at the track for the cup has steadily increased in recent years with about 90,000 people through the gates in 2024, although that was still below 2003’s record attendance of 122,000 people.

Animal welfare activists plan to stage a protest in a nearby reserve, while the official ‘Nup to the Cup’ event will be held on the other side of the city.