Whistlejacket's Derby Day (and night).

7.30 the flying horsebox touches down at Tullamarine. Looks a bit damp and it's drizzling.

9.30 arrive at Flemington. Still drizzling but that does not deter Melbourne's picnic set who are already

partying. Why you would want to sit in a carpark in the rain when you could be watching some

wonderful racing is a mystery.

Flemington looks beautiful - flowers everywhere and many smart looking fillies and mares in the

traditional colours of black and white and men in morning suits and top hats.

11.00 and the excitement is rising. In the mounting yard Bernadette Cummings is there with an armful

of passes for the owners of their runner Flying Aquila. Olly Tait is back from Darley in America to help

with the Australian arm and collect the silverware as it is their runner Galah who wins the first race -

just - from Highly Recommended and Saint Etienne, who is going in to the little black book.

12.00 is start time for the Lexus and the rain seems to be going elsewhere and the sun starting to

emerge. Very impressive win from Niwot who will now get a run on Tuesday and will have a very light

weight. Macedonian produced a nice run for second and the very honest Andujawan third.

12.30 the fillies are parading for the Wakeful. Atlantic Jewel is huge compared to her competitors, and

she goes on to win this by 7 lengths and remain undefeated. She must be a hot favourite for the Oaks

after that run. Rahveel and Dowager Queen were the bridesmaids.

1.20 Sepoy just scrapes in to maintain his wonderful record in the Coolmore. That's a double to Kerrin

McEvoy and Peter Snowden as Olly Tait collects more silverware. Foxwedge gave it a real shake

though finishing only a head away second, and Zamorer third and Satin Shoes fourth.

2.00 Glass Harmonium is dancing round the parade ring but he should remember he still has to go out

and run 2000 metres. He must have done so as he got a great start and raced in a forward position and

nobody could run him down. Then Mourayan who hasn't always run to his best potential came home

second and Rekindled Interest another great run for third. Southern Speed, the Caulfield Cup winner

was fourth,

3.00 The Derby had a very poignant moment when Hugh Bowman brought home Sangster to win the

Derby, a year after he had ridden back Lion Tamer, who last weekend Bowman was riding when he

broke down and he held Lion Tamer's head when he was euthanised. Sangster is by Savabeel and

hails from New Zealand and there were a lot of very happy kiwis to welcome him back. Induna had

traffic problems and got through to take second with Sabrage third. Disappointment in the race was

Manawanui - there were a few rough moments in the race and he may have been the victim of some of

this.

3.45 and the fillies and mares are flying down the course in the last of the Group 1s, the Myer Classic.

More Joyous was fighting away but it was Hurtle Myrtle who came hurling down the straight to the

absolute delight of her strapper who was almost doing cartwheels in the parade ring. It's Damien

Oliver's third win of the afternoon on the anniversary of his brother's death. Sacred Choice is second

and Dysphonia third.

4.30 And Damien brings home his fourth winner in four consecutive races when Sister Madly wins the

Salinger from Rarified and Temple of Boom.

Little did we realise that our day was starting, not ending. When we got back to Tullamarine we found

the flying horse box along with the entire Qantas fleet was grounded. Virgin didn't have any spare flying

horse boxes and Rex only had one going south when we wanted to go north. So we went to the nice

hire car people over the road who agreed to kindly hire us a motorised horsebox and seven and a half

hours later we were back in the home stables. And, as the diarist says, and so to bed!