‘Charming’ Love Boat host Darren McMullen far from the only star in fine form at Cup Carnival

The Real Love Boat’s Darren McMullen lived up to his Lothario reputation at the Cup Carnival, sidling up to newly single Olivia Molly Rogers.

A gospel choir sang up a storm in the Paramount marquee in the Birdcage. Picture: Supplied

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan doesn’t look like travelling north any time soon given he is kicking back into Melbourne’s luxury real estate market.

The TAB marquee this week has been all atwitter about Gil’s latest Grandview Grove purchase.

The AFL head honcho put his $11m Prahran property on the market, only to take it off amid falling house prices.

But that hasn’t stopped him from dishing out eight figures for a new family home just around the corner on one of Melbourne’s most sought after tree-lined streets.

This puts to rest speculation he was headed north as the prime candidate to run the Olympic Games when they come to Brisbane in 2032.

His brother Hamish recently purchased a Pasley St pile in South Yarra so the hood could be home to these sons of the old South Australian squattocracy.

Channel 7 broadcaster Hamish McLachlan has a new South Yarra home. Picture: Getty

The high-profile brothers know how to have a laugh at themselves, with Hamish recently interviewing Gil at a Carbine Club lunch.

No, they weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth, they were born with “the whole cutlery set”. Boom.

Page 13 hears he went close to adding to that on Derby Day with a small outlay on a four leg multi promising six figure sums missing out thanks to Derby favourite Short and Sharp getting caught within the shadows of the post.

Gil’s regular punting partner and rumoured heir apparent, Andrew Dillon, was missing in action after blowing out his Achilles playing tennis with fellow AFL honcho Dan Richardson.

Gil’s Prahran purchase will be a disappointment for the Queensland government. They have been pushing hard in the background for McLachlan to join the Olympics campaign (if his delayed exit from AFL headquarters eventuates).

The AFL boss is known for pulling off the big moves and he busted a few with Delta Goodrem at the AFL’ s big dance.

Delta was still swooning about it to Page 13. Over at the Paramount marquee on Derby the big man sure got things rocking and rollicking, twirling his wife Laura on the tiles.

The Paramount marquee in the Birdcage was the place to be. Picture: Supplied

Some insiders were scratching their heads at Gil’s marquee appearance given the AFL’s broadcasting deals with Foxtel and Seven.

But Page 13 was told McLachlan forged good relationships with Paramount execs during the process.

There was a laugh when Gil took a play straight from the Dustin Martin handbook, pulling the ol’ ‘don’t argue’ on a worse-for-wear Konrad Bien-Stephen.

The reality contestant tried to move in on the big fella as the Melbourne Gospel Choir really ramped things up.

But what a difference a new race day brings when Page 13 found Konrad back on the dance floor on Cup Day, looking a little more bright eyed and waxing lyrical.

“I’d just like to thank Paramount for having me and my Paramount family. Paramount, did I mention Paramount,” said the serial reality contestant, spreading the jam on the company that made him.

Paramount really did put on a show and was the place to be in the Birdcage.

If the Gospel Choir and heaving DJ sets upstairs weren’t your thing, then you could have been mistaken for thinking you had stepped into a scene at The Water Hole in Erinsborough in the “speak-easy” downstairs.

Neighbours alumni such as Stefan Dennis and Alan Fletcher were in the mix with news icon Sandra Sully, who proved a keen punter.

Delta Goodrem in the Birdcage on Cup Day. Picture: Getty

The Real Love Boat’s Darren McMullen was also back at his best, living up to his Lothario reputation.

Page 13 hears McMullen, who is as charming as they come, sidled up to the recently single Olivia Molly Rogers. But he was backing the wrong horse when chatting up the newly married Tayla Damir, now Mrs Nathan Broad. Credit for giving it a crack.

Melbourne’s own Jerry Maguire, Paul Connors, was seen looking lean and mean outside the Furphy marquee. His new look is linked to the viral video about his nag, Elliptical, which was narrowly beaten in a Group 1 race in Sydney two weeks ago.

The “charming as they come” Darren McMullen. Picture: Getty

Connors and his punting mates were watching the race at the Sorrento Hotel, cheering their horse, only to drop to the floor after the three-year-old was beaten by a nostril.

Connors revealed he fell seriously ill later that night and was hospitalised with an infection, which caused him to shred the kegs.

Never a bad thing in getting the top button done up on your shirt during Cup Week.

Today, take a look at Nature Strip.

What a week. You betcha!