Punters have poured out in cold, drizzly conditions for a day of racing in Melbourne, in changeable weather not seen elsewhere in the country.

Light rain set in over Melbourne on Saturday and the east of the state as a low-pressure system and an associated cold front swept eastward from South Australia.

Temperatures fell from a Friday maximum of 25C thanks to a dry northerly wind, before polar air dragged the mercury back down to the low 10s on Saturday, in stark contrast to the rest of the country.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival's closing Champion Stakes Day has been running under relentless rain and wind.

Pictures showed punters struggling with umbrellas in their gladrags while the horses endured under drab conditions as nearby Essendon Airport recorded a moderate 7mm in the five hours f

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