Melbourne Cup 2018: Has the Melbourne Cup ever been cancelled?

IT would take a lot for the Melbourne Cup meeting to be postponed, but as the deluge continues at Flemington does the question of whether the meeting is in jeopardy become a reality?

IT would take a lot for the Melbourne Cup meeting to be postponed with visibility and lightning the only reasons the jockeys wouldn’t ride.

Flemington’s Super Saturday meeting in March 2010 was abandoned due to a storm after the Newmarket Handicap was run.

LIVE COVERAGE: BIG WET STRIKES HEADQUARTERS

The Australian Guineas and Australian Cup were put on the following Saturday’s meeting.

A Melbourne Cup has never been abandoned.

In 1976 a storm swept through Flemington yet the race was still run with jockeys caked in mud.

HAS THE MELBOURNE CUP EVER BEEN CANCELLED?

The appalling conditions in mounting yard show the extent of the heavy rainfall.

Racecallers couldn’t identify the runners until the closing stages.

Jockeys though these days have greater respect for safety issues and often vote to abandon meetings due to visibility.

FORM GUIDE: FIND A MELBOURNE CUP WINNER

EXPERT VERDICT: MELBOURNE CUP TIPS

FIRST TO LAST: YOUR CUP FINISHING ORDER PREDICTED

Chief steward Robert Cram said the rain should ease in the next hour and he’s confident the Melbourne Cup will be run at 3pm.

The other reason meetings have been abandoned have been due to high winds.

"Our aim is to run the Cup at 3pm AEDT if possible."

Here's the latest from @rvstewards on the state of play @flemingtonvrc. pic.twitter.com/EJGvqvc93B

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 6, 2018

Despite reservations about the meeting being in danger, Racing Victoria stewards are confident that the wild weather will clear and that the Melbourne Cup will be run on time.

Chief steward Robert Cram says alterations have been made but that the rain and racing program will continue to be monitored throughout the day.

“We’ve been in contact with the Bureau (of Meteorology) and they’ve informed us that the rain will continue over the next hour but will clear,” he said.

The mounting yard takes the full brunt of the shocking weather.

Racegoers negogiate the puddles on the lawn as rain tumbles down.

“And we’ll have clear space after that. Given that information and looking at the radar, we’ve determined to delay the second race and the third race, to give us room for assessment for the further program on the day.

“Our aim is to run the Cup at 3pm if possible.”

A small section of roofing has collapsed in the Flemington press room after water made its way in, and there has also been areas of flooding around the track, including in the horse tunnel.

“We have all hands on deck, people attending to it and we’re hopeful it won’t present any further problems,” Cram told racing.com.

Punters make their way past the statue of three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, a well known mudlark. icture: Jason Edwards