It feels like you’ve gone through the Looking Glass when a Kings Cross nightclub identity like John Ibrahim holds court in the Birdcage and the Victorian premier’s wife refuses to have her picture taken.
asserted
picture → feel → Birdcage
Such is life trackside on Derby Day at Flemington circa 2026, where the weather dampened the mood and the once-elite hospitality precinct existed in an ever-shrinking format.
asserted
precinct → dampen → format
Even some of the celebrities, who enjoy the hospitality of sponsors and are dressed free, are becoming reluctant to play the game.
asserted
who → enjoy → game
Radio personality Carrie Bickmore was refusing interviews, leaving the heavy lifting to WAGS and their sporting other halves.
asserted
Bickmore → refuse → WAGS
Case in point: influencer Annalise Dalins looked radiant, fresh from her hens’ celebration in Sorrento, wearing white Alin Le’Kal before her upcoming wedding to Collingwood footballer Josh Daicos.
asserted
Dalins → look → Daicos
Sipping a glass of champagne in Crown’s secret bar complete with vodka ice luge, Dalins said she and Daicos were all organised for their “small and intimate” wedding.
asserted
she → sip → wedding
“I wanted to be comfortable, but still getting the white theme going on for me,” said the bride-to-be.
asserted
bride → want → me
“We’re just looking forward to the carnival, looking forward to seeing everyone,” she said.
asserted
she → look → everyone
“This time in Melbourne, everyone’s just so out and about.”
asserted
everyone → ’ → Melbourne
The funky tunes in Crown’s party zone were provided by DJ Stephanie Stean, alas flying solo with her usual other creative half, Stefanie Catalano, in Bali as her husband, Antony Catalano, awaits his next day in court for alleged domestic violence offences against his third wife.
asserted
husband → provide → wife
After finals, she will jet off to Vietnam for some downtime before returning for the men’s 2027 season.
asserted
she → jet → season
Crown Resorts boss David Tsai and Melbourne casino chief Ed Domingo were on hosting duties, with their guests including newlyweds Rebecca Harding and Andy Lee, fresh from their wedding in New York, shoemaker Lana Wilkinson, Sydney fashion designer Pip Edwards, footballer-turned-commentator Joel Selwood and designer Nadia Bartel, while Crown ambassador Bec Judd was in her element working the room.
asserted
Judd → include → room
While the premier’s wife, Fiona Rothville, didn’t want to play ball on the couch at Crown, there were a few of our elected representatives – both blue and red – willing to see and be seen.
asserted
wife → want → representatives
Retiring Victorian Liberal Michael O’Brien was doing the rounds like a lap of honour, before probably handing over the reins in Malvern to Amelia Hamer.
asserted
O’Brien → retire → Hamer
O’Brien told CBD he would help leader Jess Wilson with her transition to government, before likely returning to the bar as well acting as a mediator, the skills for which he thought were akin to politics.
asserted
he → tell → politics
At Nine, opposition communications spokeswoman and Victorian senator Sarah Henderson was happy to be back trackside, having missed recent years thanks to scheduled sitting weeks.
asserted
Henderson → miss → weeks
Nine chief executive Matt Stanton was playing host to millionaire pub scion, radio network owner and former federal member Craig Laundy.
asserted
Stanton → play → scion
Nine owns this masthead.
asserted
Nine → own → masthead
Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson was doing the rounds with his primary school teacher husband Ryan Bolger, while Liberal senator Anne Ruston was at TAB, as was former Labor state treasurer Jaclyn Symes.
asserted
Symes → do → TAB
… except in the Committee Room
Noted karaoke queen Peta Credlin resisted the urge to join Human Nature for a couple of songs in the Victoria Racing Club Committee Room on Saturday.
asserted
Credlin → note → Saturday
It was back in September that CBD bought news of the conservative political commentator Credlin and former PM Tony Abbott turning up at the Portarlington pub with a bunch of mates and having a crack at a couple of tracks with the local cover band.
asserted
commentator → buy → band
Known to love a tambourine, Credlin joined the surprised band for a version of The Angels classic Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again … – without the famous but profane ad-lib in the chorus.
asserted
I → know → chorus
So on Derby Day when Human Nature was introduced to guests in the hallowed Committee Room, for a moment CBD questioned if she would give us another karaoke moment.
asserted
she → introduce → moment
Alas, she simply sang along from her seat.
asserted
she → sing → seat
Credlin is in her rock star era, having gone viral in recent days for putting her News24 colleague Andrew Clennell in his box after he went off script on her show.
asserted
he → go → show
The political class was well represented in the invitation-only enclave, with Racing Minister Anthony Carbines, Minister for Trade and Tourism Natalie Suleyman, member for Essendon Danny Pearson, who won’t be contesting the state election this month, opposition racing spokesman Tim McCurdy, federal member for Wannon Dan Tehan (we hear there might be a new flame in his life) and NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley enjoying the day.
uncertain
Daley → represent → day
Governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner added a regal element to proceedings.
asserted
Gardner → add → proceedings
TAB boss Gil McLachlan has always been pretty quick on his feet and is a student of form, so we are tipping he had found a winner when he broke into a spontaneous jig after cheering a horse across the line part-way through the day.
asserted
he → tip → day
Derby Day marked the beginning of a significant week for Victoria Racing Club chair Neil Wilson and his wife, Stephanie.
asserted
Day → mark → Wilson
Wilson will step down as VRC chair after the Cup carnival, handing the role over to chair-elect Vin Cox.
asserted
Wilson → step → Cox
Crown chair Martin Pakula, notably not wearing the traditional Derby Day morning suit, was spotted among the guests, as was Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison, VRC director Ann Peacock, champion jockey Damien Oliver and his wife, Trish, Racing Victoria board member and newly appointed chair of the Melbourne Market Authority Paul Guerra, entertainment promoter Paul Dainty, America’s Cup-winning skipper John Bertrand, and Carla McGuire.
asserted
Morrison → wear → guests
Her husband, Eddie, was helming the Nine broadcast of the meeting.
asserted
husband → helm → meeting
The VRC board brought together representatives from across the racing industry and hosted board members and executives from the Melbourne Racing Club, Moonee Valley Racing Club and several international clubs, as well as media executives and representatives of their many sponsors.
asserted
board → bring → sponsors
Take a punt
As well as the pollies, McLachlan’s TAB marquee was where footballers mixed with business types.
asserted
footballers → take → types
While the days of every corporate heavyweight turning up trackside are long gone, a few heavy hitters still donned black and white.
asserted
hitters → turn → black
3AW broadcaster Jacqui Felgate was catching up with similarly gorgeous and now former ABC Mornings host Sharnelle Vella, who was enjoying a day away from her seven-month-old daughter.
asserted
who → catch → daughter
The Aporia
