Top jockey Robbie Dolan's Melbourne weather dig sets the scene for wet and wild Melbourne Cup day
Updated . First published
As rain continues to pour in Melbourne, 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup winning jockey Robbie Dolan had a cheeky dig for the city, despite his Irish heritage.
Asked on Nine's Today about the looming heavy track at Flemington, Dolan was quick with his response.
"I tell you what, it'd be a great city if they had a roof on it," he said.
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Dolan's response brought about plenty of laughs from host Karl Stefanovic and a shocked look from his father, Bobby.
Karl Stefanovic and Robbie Dolan. Nine
"I thrive in this weather, we love this weather," he continued.
"My horse won't mind it, I think if anything it will slow down a couple of the horses. It might be an inconvenience for the punters and people on track but it won't bother me."
Dolan won on Knight's Choice last year and will ride Royal Supremacy on Tuesday afternoon.
"This week is bringing back a lot of nostalgia from last year," he said.
"I tell you what, I'm just getting the buzz again, I'm feeling good."
Rain is expected for this year's Melbourne Cup.
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Originally the Bureau of Meteorology was predicting there'd be a 25 per cent chance of up to 20mm of rain falling on Tuesday.
That figure has now fallen to 10mm. There's a 75 per cent chance of at least 1mm.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the forecast predicts a high probability of showers with a 25 per cent chance of up to 20mm of rain falling on Tuesday.
On Monday as of 10:30am (AEDT), 20.8mm of rain had fallen since midnight.
Alongside a chance of showers on race day, the wind is expected to reach speeds of 20 to 30km/h with the cloudy overview for the day.
In contrast to last year's fine weather, punters are in for some wet and wild weather throughout the day, with the BoM forecasting that light showers will stick around for when the race kicks off at 3pm.
The Melbourne Cup in 2018 was showered with rain. Getty
In November, Melbourne's average temperature is around 13 to 23 degrees, but it is expected to only nudge a top of 16 degrees on Tuesday.
Most racehorses prefer either a dry track or a softer, rain-affected track, meaning each runner's chances will alter based on the state of the surface for the $10 million contest.
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