Delta says ‘symbolic’ Cup Day shows Melbourne’s back
Collingwood great Dane Swan had a different kind of Cup Day with own unique version of the birdcage.
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Dane Swan had a different kind of Cup Day – a shorts day with his dog, his son and his mates.
The Collingwood great watched the races in his own version of a birdcage with his dog Barney (bottom right) and son Tate on the couch at home and later at The Osborne in South Yarra.
“The races never looked so good,” Swan said of his setup.
“Barney’s hot tip was Incentivise.”
Swan met up with former Magpies teammate Chris Tarrant and some friends (above) on The Osborne’s rooftop which was packed for the big race.
DELTA SAYS CUP DAY IS ‘SYMBOLIC’
Pop princess Delta Goodrem says the 2021 Melbourne Cup is a triumphant symbol of Victoria’s comeback after 20 months of lockdown.
“I think it’s incredibly symbolic,” Goodrem said.
“We’re all here and we’ve made it happen. It takes an absolute team to make something like this come together.”
“We won’t take it for granted,” she said of Victoria’s recently declared freedoms.
“It’s a gift … (and) it’s been so tough for all of us. Hopefully this marks a really exciting comeback.”
Goodrem, wearing a showstopping creation by Mariam Seddiq, said she was thrilled to see Melbourne come back to life.
“I’ve been at home so much. I’ve been looking forward to (wearing) bright colours and having fun, and enjoying a spectacular day. We’re blessed with some incredible weather, and the grounds look phenomenal.
“It’s wonderful to see everybody dressed up and seeing that life come back. The idea of getting to express ourselves as (being) back, and being able to have a really wonderful celebration.”
Goodrem, a VRC ambassador, performed three songs at the event, including the Peter Allen tear-jerker, Tenterfield Saddler.
“It’s part of our Australian fabric, we grew up with it,” Goodrem said of the Cup, reflecting on her childhood memories of the horse race that stops a nation.
“I think about being at school, and 3 o’clock, the whole classroom stops, and it really brings people together, I think it’s really important right now that we all come together and celebrate.
“Also, I think about the fact there was a horse called Delta in 1951, the year my dad was born.”
With Goodrem’s 2021 tour postponed due to Covid restrictions, the Melbourne Cup show marked her first live performance this year.
She played so-called “bunker down” sessions, for web broadcast, during stay-at-home restrictions.
At Flemington, Goodrem said she was also keen to explore the new season fashions.
“I want to see everybody being their authentic selves,” she said.
“I love celebrating everyone’s individuality. We’re all getting used to putting our heels back on.”
RIEWOLDT’S COOKING WOWS MELISSA LEONG
Masterchef star Melissa Leong says she is happy and grateful after appearing at the Melbourne Cup with her boyfriend, Rob Mason.
“I’m so happy and I’m in a great place,” Leong said at the Channel 10 marquee. “It’s a celebration, it’s spring racing, and we’re finally getting out to see people.”
She added: “As much as my job is public, I like to keep the private things private.
“I’m very grateful there’s an audience that watches MasterChef who love (her co-stars) Jock (Zonfrillo), Andy (Allen) and myself.
“I’m open to an extent, but the rest is private.”
Mason is a haircare entrepreneur based in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Leong said Nick Riewoldt’s reinvention as a kitchen whiz on Celebrity Masterchef was a joy to watch.
However, Leong, a former Sydneysider, also confessed she didn’t know who former Saints captain was, or his AFL prowess.
“Nick is absolutely amazing,” she said. “What a gentleman, and what a wonderful example of sportsmanship, leadership, and fatherhood. I’m not hugely into AFL, I’m new to Victoria, so I didn’t really know Nick, except that he was a much-lauded sportsperson.
“But meeting him, and seeing he’s an all-round nice guy who can also cook, I mean how disgusting is that?
“He’s multifaceted and a joy to behold.”
Leong’s Cup outfit and accessories read like a row of shops on Rodeo Drive: Sonia Cappellazzo, Bottega Veneta, Van Cleef and Arpels, Bulgari, and Ezara/J.
“I think now we’re experiencing this new-found freedom, socialising and being out together, it’s about celebrating and supporting Australian designers and global designers.”
The reality show judge and food critic also revealed she cooks at home, adding: “I make a mean Hainanese chicken rice.”
Leong said, as a cook, she was inspired by her mum as well as late TV chef Elizabeth Chong, who appeared on Bert Newton’s Channel 10 show, Good Morning Australia.
Newton, who passed away last weekend, will be honoured at a state funeral in Melbourne next week.
Leong said: “The nation is feeling his loss, for sure.”
CUP LIKE GRAND FINAL FOR LONG-SUFFERING VICS
Tayla Damir says being at the Melbourne Cup for the first time in two years felt like a Grand Final.
The Myer Fashions on Your Front Lawn ambassador stepped out in the reimagined pink zone with her fiancee, Richmond defender Nathan Broad.
“It almost feels as big as a grand final because the anticipation and build up was so big,” Damir said.
“We’ve all been waiting for this and to get back out again.
“We’ve seen so many amazing outfits I’ve started writing down notes so that I can get them when we have events back.”
Broad and Damir are hoping to get married soon but first want to celebrate their engagement with family and friends in Perth.
Broad is good friends with John O’Neil part owner of Cup favourite Incentivise, as well as Verry Elleegant and Sir Lucan.
“It was great celebrating after the Derby on Saturday and if Incentivise wins it could be a big night.”
MICHELLE PAYNE BIG FEAR AFTER CUP WIN
FORMER Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne says the biggest challenge of her victory at Flemington was having to “flaunt” herself as a public figure.
“From the moment I stepped off Prince of Penzance (the 2015 Cup-winning horse that Payne rode), my life changed instantly. To think a three-minute race can change your life forever is phenomenal.
“To be recognised worldwide, and to have a movie and a book about myself is incredible. It changes everything. One race can change so much.”
Payne said the biggest adjustment was living life in the spotlight.
“One of the biggest challenges of my life was adapting to a different world,” she said.
“All of my life, before winning the Melbourne Cup, was training and dedicating myself to the sport, and being the best you can be.
“That means you aren’t really a people person or flaunting yourself around.
“I was not prepared for any of it. I had to adapt to that quickly.
“Now I’m at a point where I’m enjoying it and making the most of opportunities that come my way.”
These days, Payne says she’s facing another set of challenges running her own horse training business.
“It’s a lot harder than I expected,” she said.
“I have a great team, and we’ve got some lovely horses we’ve worked hard to get, from Germany, New Zealand, and we’re looking to buy a horse from France.”
Payne said she’s learning to run a team.
“As a jockey, you’re a sole trader, you look after yourself, you have a manager, and you’re focused on you,” she said. “It’s a little bit selfish.
“But as a trainer, you’ve got a whole team you have to support; your staff, the owners and you have a business to run.”
Payne, now a successful trainer, is fast making a name for herself in the commentary box. On Tuesday she was an expert commentator for Channel 10.
She said it was exciting to see some big crowds return to Flemington after lockdowns: “It’s been empty grandstands and empty lawns for two years, but it feels like the stars have aligned to let everything reopen.”
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