Page 13: Usain Bolt, Elle Macpherson among celebs giddying up for Derby Day
USAIN Bolt, the world’s fastest man, is a starter for Flemington but not to take on the horses in the Victoria Derby. Here are the other celebrities, movers and shakers chomping at the bit for a day at the races on Saturday.
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USAIN Bolt, the world’s fastest man, is a starter for Flemington on Saturday but not to take on the horses in the Victoria Derby.
The Olympic gold medallist has abandoned his bid to play A-League with the Central Coast Mariners and is sitting at his home away from home, Crown.
Bolt is tipped to be out of the blocks with his Melbourne mate and former runner John Steffensen in the Mumm marquee.
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Unlike some ungrateful celebs, the world’s greatest sprinter is generous with his time, pressing the flesh and joining in selfies with adoring fans.
Meanwhile, Ian Thorpe, Ricky Ponting and Elle “The Body” MacPherson will be at the Lexus marquee in the exclusive Birdcage.
Trainers David Hayes and Ciaron Maher will be front and centre at Tabcorp where the real punters reign.
Scott “The Lord” Disick and girlfriend Sofia Richie will be at the Ultra marquee while in the Furphy beer camp half of Malcolm Turnbull’s former advisers will be rubbing shoulders with Bill Shorten’s closest aides.
HATS OFF FOR CLUB STAND
BUNCHES of Flemington roses to Amanda Elliott and the Victoria Racing Club for getting the $128 million members’ stand over the line on time and budget.
Page 13 had a peek and declares it a palace for the sport of kings, except now everyone goes.
The VRC’S Melbourne Cup Carnival celebrations began early with the annual black tie chairman’s dinner hosted by Elliott on the Roof Garden with Governor Linda Dessau, Lord Mayor Sally Capp, Racing Minister Martin Pakula and Eddie McGuire, Ricky Ponting and Darren Weir as guests.
GIDDY UP FOR LIVE AND FREE
POWER brothers Hamish and Gillon McLachlan don’t have much time to horse around these days. So these thoroughbreds invest in gallopers to hang out. As you do.
Hamish told Page 13 their horse, Live and Free, is nominated in the 1800m Twitter Trophy on Oaks Day.
Their last horse ran last in the last race on Cup Day.
“It was a long and tiring day and exhausting, financially too,” said Hamish with a wry grin.
The McLachlans are all aflutter about Live and Free which they co-own with Seven Network boss Tim Worner, among others.
The horse is named after the free-to-air network’s “Live and Free” logo on the Seven microphones.
TAXIDERMY TERROR
IT’S time for Melbourne’s milliners to shine and no one does it better than Matcho Suba. Page 13 asked Suba if you can ever go too far with your carnival racewear.
Matcho admitted he may have gone slightly overboard once with a fossilised seahorse he found while taking a stroll on Elwood beach.
Not satisfied with trying to turn it into headwear, he coupled it with a stuffed squirrel head for his pocket.
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