Melbourne Cup 2016: Anthony Pratt and Gina Rinehart to attend, movers and shakers at Derby Day
Hold on to your hats, punters. The billionaires are coming.
Melbourne Cup Day tomorrow at Flemington truly will be the race that stops a nation, with two of Australia’s richest people, box tsar Anthony Pratt, worth more than $10 billion, and Hancock Prospecting’s Gina Rinehart, worth just over half that, stepping into the Birdcage.
It will be Pratt’s first visit to the Spring Carnival for many years, with the patriarch of the Visy empire set to join the masses for the $6 million race.
It’s a rare visit for Rinehart too, who is fresh from her Kidman success. She will be with her beloved swim team in the Emirates marquee, where we hear Pratt might also be turning up for a spot of lunch and a punt. What a union.
Ziggy’s corporate oasis
At Saturday’s Derby Day, the hands-down winner of the Power Stakes was Suncorp’s lofty, pastel-toned corporate oasis, also in the Birdcage.
The insurer’s chairman Ziggy Switkowski invited 60-odd for a sit-down luncheon, refuge from the hoi polloi and, for most of the day, the gutter press.
There was Aunty boss Michelle Guthrie, happily talking to the Turnbull government’s Health, Aged Care and Sports Minister Sussan Ley, who had her daughter along for the day.
Guthrie also spent time deep in conversation with former Telstra boss Switkowski and the PM’s personal choice to manage the NBN rollout Bill Morrow — no surprise there as Switkowski is also the NBN chair.
Liberal grandee and Nine chair Peter Costello was along with his wife Tanya, and well aware of his limited equine expertise.
“I don’t know enough about it. I’m just here for the fun,” Costello told us.
The distinguished treasurer lunched in Suncorp with his staffer-turned-Minister for Revenue and Financial Services Kelly O’Dwyer, who later held court among her fellow guests, including Herbert Smith Freehills merger and acquisition partner Robert Nicholson.
Her husband, UBS banker Jon Mant, watched on proudly, enjoying the sort of Australian boardroom access that some investment bankers can only dream of.
Also bridging the UBS and Treasury worlds was John Fraser, formerly the head of the Swiss giant’s London operations before he moved to Canberra to run first treasurer Joe Hockey’s department and now Scott Morrison’s.
Rumours have swirled that Turnbull’s reign would end Fraser’s days as a bureaucrat, but he seemed a happy man trackside.
He might be more of a stayer than many have tipped.
Former Perpetual legend John Sevior offered some contemporary real world financial perspective to the Treasury boss. A spot in the prestige marquee is a handy bonus to Sevior’s conviction position in the Queensland-based insurer Suncorp — one of the first taken by his Airlie Funds Management, back in 2013.
Former National Mutual boss and one-time NAB director Geoff Tomlinson was also in the house, while Tabcorp chair Paula Dwyer came and went from the second level enclave amid a perfect Spring day.
There was one shock absentee though, Suncorp’s legendary doorman Richard McColl.
After 23 consecutive years on the insurer’s door, the Flemington enforcer McColl was at home in Bali. Terrible news.
Wyllie’s lacy leg
Over at Emirates everything — from the outfits to the fitout — was much more overt.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop looked suspiciously fresh for someone who had just flown back from government duties in Indonesia. Are there two of her?
Sporting a Philip Treacy-designed hat, which the deputy Liberal leader told us she picked up at Flinders Lane millinery institution Christine, Bishop was, for another year, the Queen of the VIPs.
Accompanying her on the charm offensive was her partner David Panton, the now Sydney-based businessman.
Also representing the West were Perth property millionaire Rhonda Wyllie and her partner Jeffrey Browne (the former Nine boss), with Wyllie opting for a lace mini dress and Lanvin handbag for the event.
Also enjoying the Middle East airline’s hospitality was Paul Little, the founder of the now Japanese-owned logistics groups Toll Holdings, former Essendon chair and, with a fortune last valued at $870m, the richest race watcher on Saturday.
As flagged, the effervescent Francesca Packer Barham was the only member of her storied family, as uncle James deals with two powerful foes: the People’s Republic of China and, even more challenging, his former fiance Mariah Carey’s publicity machine.
Doing his bit to help the Crown billionaire was KPMG partner Paul Howes who, in his words, had lost “all of our money” at Packer’s Melbourne casino the night before.
Cross examination of Howes’ wife, Qantas executive Olivia Wirth, revealed that was perhaps a slight exaggeration.
Also mingling in the power tent were News Corp Australia executive chairman Michael Miller, corporate undertaker Mark Korda and Crown executive Peter Crinis.
Whelan’s winning ways
NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley was along with his deputy Michael Daley. Late in the day, the Labor pair dropped into the Birdcage with their good mate Paul Whelan, the former police minister and owner of Flying Artie, winner of the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“They tell me it’s a postcode changing win,” Whelan told us. (We hear Foley won $300.)
NSW Premier Mike Baird will be interested to hear Foley and Daley watched most of the races with Alan Jones, one of the greyhound ban’s biggest opponents, up in the VRC Chairman’s Club.
Leaving the nest
Floating about the Birdcage throughout the day was Crown’s latest recruit Peta Credlin (who had escaped the casino’s own low-key marquee trackside) and her Liberal powerbroker husband Brian Loughnane.
Meanwhile, Swisse chief Radek Sali was working the door for entry to the Lion Nathan marquee, after last year hosting his own hospitality. No tears — remember Sali pocketed $250m from the sale of his pill business just over a year ago.
Merger almost there
No sign of Tatts chairman Harry Boon and co in the marquee of chair Paula Dwyer’s wagering giant Tabcorp.
With their $11.3bn merger yet to get the tick from competition boss Rod Sims, that was probably a wise decision.
The workhorse on the Tabcorp side of the mega-merger UBS banker Kelvin Barry and his wife Chloe enjoyed the client’s hospitality. It’s been a massive year for the Melbourne-based investment banker, who is also advising Packer’s Crown Resorts on its corporate restructure.
Defence Minister Marise Payne and her NSW minister husband Stuart Eyres were flag-bearers of the marquee’s studious approach to race watching. The two horseflesh lovers and owners (with a pair of meticulously detailed parliamentary member’s register of interests to prove it) were joined in the politically well-connected tent by Victorian treasury spokesman Michael O’Brien, Liberal pub scion Craig Laundy and a relaxed Communications Minister Mitch Fifield. “It’s the best day of the year,” Fifield beamed.
Trumped at Myer
Over in the Herald Sun outpost HWT chair and matchmaker extraordinaire Penny Fowler and her husband Grant were joined by their banking friend Westpac boss Brian Hartzer and later AFL boss Gillon McLachlan.
Meanwhile in Myer, long-serving ambassador Jennifer Hawkins was — despite her best feints — dragged into the US election thanks to the video of the former Miss Universe being shabbily treated by Donald Trump, the pageant’s handsy boss. But the show went on. Aitken Investment Management’s fashionable Ellie Aitken was an early arrival as Myer boss Richard Umbers and suppliers shared stories of terrible tips from former boss, racing tragic Bernie Brookes.
Bishop carves up
Ahead of her appearance on yesterday’s Insiders, Foreign Minister Bishop carved up the dance floor with partner Panton in the Lexus marquee where Howes’s KPMG offsider Jon Adgemis had — after a chopper ride — enjoyed the day with his client Andrew Lancaster, boss of Bermuda billionaire Bruce Gordon’s WIN regional television network.
Also there was Solly Lew’s charge Mark McInnes and Jessica Gomes, the beautiful face of the David Jones empire he used to run.
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