It may have been soggy and sodden in Melbourne, but there wasn’t a sniff of rain in Longreach for the race that stops the nation.
Temperatures soared past 40 degrees, undoubtedly putting some people off the grand idea of a day in the sun.
However, a healthy crowd of dedicated punters still turned up for Melbourne Cup Race Day at the Longreach Racecourse.
It was a stark contrast to the scenes in Melbourne, where a deluge of rain caused chaos in the city before briefly clearing just in time for the main event.
The Melbourne Cup was won by English-trained horse Cross Counter, with trainer Charlie Appleby becoming the first English trainer to win the cup.