After nearly 2500-words of preamble published in Monday's Wimmera Mail-Times, my excitement was at an all-time high heading into the 2019 Melbourne Cup.

Horsham's first ever runner, Surprise Baby, was a genuine contender to win the prestigious horse race. And I was simply pinching myself as I piled onto the train at Flinders Street Station alongside every other dressed up racegoer en route to Flemington.

Surprisingly, there were seats readily available on the carriage, perhaps due to the Cup attracting its lowest attendance since 1995, with just 81,408. An underwhelming total for Racing Victoria and a sign of Australia's waning enthusiasm for horse racing in the wake of industry scandal.

But for me, the smaller crowd was a blessing in disguise.

I could move with relative ease I might not have if the crowd was anywhere near the 122,736 record set in 2003.

There was hardly a hiccup as I waded through the crowd, laptop bag slung over my shoulder, to visit Surprise Baby's stall early in the afternoon.

There, I was one of many to wish Paul Preusker the best of luck ahead of the biggest race of his career, but from me, I told him it was on behalf of the Wimmera.

The race itself went by in a flash. My heart sank in the opening, as Surprise Baby settled into second-last after the first 400 metres.

But the final straight provided a rush of pure adrenaline. While it was near-impossible to hear the race caller over the sound of cheering punters, I saw Surprise Baby in the flesh, flying past competitors into fifth place.

As soon as Horsham's star crossed the finish line, I ran from the trackside to find the only quiet place in general admission at the Flemington racecourse. It was a small hill, a grassy knoll where I unloaded my thoughts and wrote a back-page story, in just 45 minutes.

It was a day of pure tension - mine minuscule in comparison to others - and yet it is a day I will forever remember.

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