After the announcement that the Melbourne Cup was about to begin came over the loudspeakers, a wave of heat soon swept in from the stands and performance area.
Men and women swayed and twisted to the music, smiles lighting up their faces.
Though I did find myself wondering what any of this had to do with horse racing.
Still, compared with an owner who stood around doing nothing, even finding time to fret over questions irrelevant to the situation at hand, the trainers and jockeys looked exceptionally busy.
They faced a relentless bombardment of interviews from official and unofficial media, assessed the track conditions, consulted with veterinarians and race officials, and, most importantly, prepared for the upcoming Melbourne Cup.
That idle moment did not last long, however.
Just as I was about to have a word with Mo Jinxian, IdIHorse's chief reporter, a staff member beside me said, "Please make your way to the mounting yard."
Before the runners appeared for their parade, the owners had to step out for an inspection of their own-apparently, rain was not uncommon at this time of year, and in previous years, this part alone had proved quite an ordeal for a fair number of elderly owners.
Fortunately, the weather was lovely today, and the track was exceptionally firm, a rarity for the Melbourne Cup in recent years.
It really was a bit of a shame, though.
I could not help thinking that as I followed the staff member's directions toward the flag bearing our racing colors.
Judging purely by its layout, Flemington Racecourse could almost be called the "Doncaster of the Southern Hemisphere." Although Traveler had never actually raced here before, everyone on her team believed the course would pose no problem for her.
The field might be enormous, but Flemington's track was