Prize for second-best dancer went to Kirsha Kaechele, the artist, curator and wife of MONA founder David Walsh, who put on her own bit of performance art on the dance floor at Mumm – writhing around on the floor in a sky blue dress and red heels in front of a saxophone player – the day after she was front and centre of the nation’s consciousness thanks to a profile on ABC’s Australian Story.
“She’s not drunk by the way,” one onlooker told CBD, “just loving the sax.”
Guests at the Mumm marquee at the Melbourne Cup were treated to a piece of performance art by trailblazing artist Kirsha Kaechele, taking the party atmosphere to the next level.
Maybe Kaechele, who conducted a famous Supreme Court case to ban men from MONA’s Ladies Lounge, was celebrating Jamie Melham’s historic Cup win.
One person definitely celebrating Melham’s win was Michelle Payne, the first female winner a decade ago, who was seen tearing up the dancefloor with brother Stevie.
House party
Federal politicians were doing their duty at a Parliament House sitting day on Tuesday, leaving the field clear for their Victorian counterparts.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, deputising in the wake of another non-appearance by Premier Jacinta Allan, started off in the Committee Room and then was marquee hopping.
“I’ve just been to Lexus, and I’m going to say hello to Crown,” he says. “It’s a bit of support for all our businesses that are making and selling Melbourne right now.” (See – we told you.)
Birdcage regular former foreign minister and ANU chancellor Julie Bishop arrived at the Lexus marquee after flying in from London, where she met King Charles at St James Palace, celebrating his charity The King’s Trust.
Julie Bishop in the Lexus marquee.Credit: Penny Stephens
As if on a school outing away from home, Nine stars including Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo decamped from their employer’s marquee to take up position upstairs in the Crown marquee. Not in the exclusive VIP section mind you, but mixing it with the masses – that is, their viewers.
Tony Howard, Linda Dessau and Anthony Carbines in the Crown marquee.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
Also spotted was a power grouping of ex-Governor Linda Dessau, husband lawyer Tony Howard and CBD favourite and chair of the National Gallery of Victoria Janet Whiting.
They were in a group including Treasurer Jaclyn Symes and Helen Silver, a former NAB executive who has compiled a report on public service job cuts. Forget criticism about enjoying largesse in an austerity era, they are thinking about the economic boost to the state.
Former opposition leader Michael O’Brien and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
Bishop said last week’s meeting with the King occurred just as the scandal engulfing Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew) continued to grow.
“Nobody said a thing,” she said.
Bishop wore a bright orange Leo Lin dress and Nerida Winter hat to the race day and paid tribute to the event’s “vibrant sense of community”.
“It’s a fabulous way to spend your Tuesday,” she said.
Bishop said she was enjoying her post-political life as an envoy for the United Nations and as chancellor for the Australian National University.
“That is a very challenging role, but we are making significant progress to ensure that ANU is among the best universities in the world,” she said.
Which is either incredible chutzpah or skilful reframing, given Bishop was labelled “hostile and arrogant” by an ANU academic in tearful evidence before a recent parliamentary inquiry. Allegations she denies.
Top chair
Flemington, like Melbourne, is built on hierarchies. Forget about getting a chauffeured Lexus direct to the racetrack, or access to Crown’s top-floor VIP marquee, the real status points come from an exclusive invitation extended by Victoria Racing Club chair Neil Wilson to his Committee Room. The best seats in the house.
They were enjoyed by Victorian Governor Margaret Gardner and husband Glyn Davis, Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan and Nine chief executive Matt Stanton.
Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
Allan Labor government ministers were thick on the ground in the room which serves a sit down lunch overlooking the mounting yard included deputy premier Ben Carroll, minister for major events Steve Dimopoulous, minister for police Anthony Carbines and minister for economic growth (obviously attending in a supervisory role) Danny Pearson.
Nine chief executive Matt Stanton (centre) with investors L1 Capital’s Andrew Levy, John Guadagnuo, Fraser McLeish and Dion Hershan, and Nine’s Nila Hodgson.Credit: Eamon Gallagher
Hoping to turn around the Liberals atrocious electoral luck, Groth was joined in the Kirin marquee alongside Liberal frontbench colleagues Cindy McLeish and Evan Mulholland.
McLeish, who says she’s a big backer of Jamie Melham, had already saluted with a quinella by midday and successfully backed Melham to bring it home with Half Yours.
In the nearby TAB marquee, former Victorian Liberal party president Michael Kroger was holding court alongside former NSW Liberal minister turned powerful lobbyist Michael Photios.
On message
It doesn’t happen often, but Melbourne Cup argy-bargy broke out into question time in Canberra.
Goldstein MP Tim Wilson, fresh from bleating on Derby Day about parliament sitting during Cup week, displayed a Tony Abbott-like ability to repeat the same message ad nauseam, proclaiming the schedule clash would never take place under a “Wilson government”.
In parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dissed Wilson while referencing Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s leadership dramas, declaring: “I don’t know about the others behind you, but I reckon you’re pretty safe from this bloke.”
This prompted Wilson to accuse Albo – as he earlier did in CBD – of “punching down on Melbourne”.
“Albanese just doesn’t understand Melbourne or our way of life,” he said – again.