In 1948, Doncaster day at headquarters topped 90,000 for The Diver but the racing fare had nothing on the flash new concept.

Let them spend millions on promotion and importing foreign horses but the wet weather dulled the attendance to 24,949.

However, hardy racegoers had a wonderful turf experience, albeit somewhat sloppy on centre stage.

Whingeing included a broken escalator leading up the Queen Elizabeth grandstand, no cover upstairs in the outside area to watch races, queues at turnstiles going to and from the Theatre of the Horse.

One socialite even complained about the quality of his lemon served with Mexican cactus juice, and a worthwhile melee erupted. According to reports, it was a fair go but with no lug biting, gouging or slippering, the action in 1948.

Your elderly correspondent was given special seating to view the features live where only the winning post was visible. You'd see more on your mobile in a dunny, thus he found a viewing area on a sludgy pew in the open. No matter. We go for racing, not comfort.

The betting ring, either side of the members' enclosure, was a dip's delight, shoulder to shoulder, fingers to pocket.

In 1948 it would have been very bountiful for them, indeed.

Rails bookmaker Bill Murphy confirmed an abundance of small money. The total of all betting rings would have been topped by the Flat enclosure on The Diver's day.

Obviously the big bets are off-course. Sportsbet reported taking a $50,000 bet on Lankan Rupee at $4.30, and more than $1 million loss in all.

But the star centre stage?

The mud hadn't settled on Lankan Rupee in the T.J. Smith, a race of champions, when Chris Waller produced the first four in the Doncaster - Sacred Falls, Royal Descent, Weary and Hawkspur.

To have four strong chances is achievement enough, but Waller's feat in the group 1 metric mile will never be equalled. The Diver had nothing on Sacred Falls, which notched a Doncaster double, but the 1948 chapter had the benefit of great jockeys, including Darby Munro, George Moore, Athol Mulley and Billy Cook. Surely they had nothing on their current-day counterparts. Nash Rawiller rode Royal Descent to perfection in the Doncaster but Zac Purton, now based in Hong Kong, on Sacred Falls was a half-length better.

Purton took the short cuts and a narrow gap, while Rawiller found the fast lane out wide.

Obviously Rawiller will have nightmares about Sacred Falls as he came up on the inside to beat him on Pierro in the Doncaster last year.

Rawiller had earlier been seen to advantage on Peggy Jean in the group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes, but Hugh Bowman made a huge contribution to Criterion in the $2 million ATC Australian Derby.

No doubt a colt bred on Criterion's sprint lines, by Golden Slipper winner Sebring out of Mica's Pride, a Bite The Bullet mare, wouldn't have had the audacity to run in the mile-and-a-half classic.

"He always looked like a stayer," South African David Payne said.

Wise guys figure Payne has Zulu herb to do the trick, but Bowman was the potion. Following one of the great Rosehill Guineas rides, Bowman repeated the effort: one slip in the slop on Saturday and Tupac Amaru beats him.

Gradually pushing forward, Kerrin McEvoy made considerable use of the runner-up, but the aggressive tactics triggered improvement.

But the effort of Lankan Rupee, under Craig Newitt, justifying the title of world champion sprinter, will be long remembered.

The T.J. Smith has produced Takeover Target and Black Caviar, and must be challenging the Newmarket for Australia's best sprint.

Ten trainers chopped up nine races worth $9.6 million, including the Bart and James Cummings team, which took the Kindergarten Stakes with Hallowed Crown.

Just another contribution to a memorable day: worth getting a wet backside for.