The track dried quickly after early morning rain, and a fierce battle followed.

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Some had braved the early morning rain to be first in line, with people starting to arrive from 0700 GMT.

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About 30 houses in the village were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning after heavy rain led to flooding.

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"However, during the early hours of the morning, unforecast rain washed the salt away and then froze on the roads, " he added.

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Several people did not take their boats out off the water at the Westerly Yacht Club, which was flooded by early morning and being bombarded with heavy rain, high winds and even a tornado warning.

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The pitch at McDiarmid Park passed an early morning inspection after a period of heavy rain but the surface made life difficult for both sides.

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David Lehr, the Churchill Downs track superintendent, has downgraded the main track to "sloppy" due to consistent rain falling Saturday morning and early afternoon.

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They had shrugged off the early loss of Nathan Astle in a rain-shortened morning session.

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Persistent rain meant no play was possible in the morning session but they got underway after an early lunch.

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