Racing: Track manager sweats on rain

This year's Melbourne Cup. Photo / Getty Images

Whatever the VRC pays its track manager Mick Goodie it isn't enough.

Goodie has had to sweat all week on whether the weather bureau's prediction of heavy rain in Melbourne today was going to be accurate.

If it was, he doesn't water Flemington for today. If the forecast was wrong, he ends up with a concrete track for Derby Day if he doesn't water.

All the while he is weighing that up against the backdrop that the weather forecast for Caulfield Cup day proved to be inaccurate in terms of depth of rain.

"I'll just have to hold my nerve over this," said Goodie yesterday morning.

The nerve held, but when the bureau started to suggest the rain might now be coming later rather than sooner, Goodie swung into action and watered Flemington.

"What was I going to do, we couldn't run the first three races on a concrete track."

The heavy rain, first due in the early hours of this morning, is now predicted for tonight and much of tomorrow, the later arrival casting deeper doubt on what condition Flemington will be in for Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday.

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