Melbourne Cup 2019: Anthony Pratt, plenty of politicians and the odd punt
Gina Rinehart, Lindsay Fox and all the Pratt siblings graced Flemington’s Birdcage for a billionaire-themed Melbourne Cup.
Richest of them all Anthony Pratt - the $13.14bn man - began the race day in Lion Nathan’s Furphy Marquee. There was no better place to spend some time with the drinks behemoth’s Australian boss Stuart Irvine, one of the billionaire box maker Visy’s biggest local clients.
Pratt was along with his partner, Claudine, and his magazine famous socks (the ones with his beaming face on them), which he wore inside a pair of bespoke patent gold lace ups.
The wealth had multiplied by the time Margin Call encountered him in Penny Fowler’s popular Herald Sun marquee.
READ MORE: How a bunch of blokes beat the sheiks and princes to win an Aussie Cup | Local hero fends off the raiders | Bold move that won the Cup | Pratt, pollies and the odd punt | Injury fuels anti-racing protest | Dress codes give way to colour | Richly famous cups runneth over | Pollies take a punt | Aussie winner bad for the bookies
Joining Pratt to enjoy Fowler’s hospitality was each of the late Richard Pratt and his lovely wife Jeanne’s children: Anthony and his sisters Heloise (and her rockstar partner Jon Stevens) and Fiona Geminder (and her just about billionaire husband Raphael Geminder).
That’s a royal Melbourne flush you don’t see everyday.
And, perched next to Anthony on the sofa, the silver medallist on The Australian’s Richest 250: Rinehart, the iron ore billionaire and Australia’s wealthiest woman.
The lot of them decamped for the 1:45pm lunch at Lexus, which as we noted the other day was the place the be this Derby Day.
Judging by Tuesday’s nearly $30bn table of financial firepower, this column’s richer readers agree.
After the race was run, who should Margin Call bump into but trucking billionaire Lindsay Fox and his wife Paula, who had spent most of the day in chairman Amanda Elliott’s VRC Committee Room.
In a nice dynastic touch, the Foxes had their grandson James Fox in tow, who was sharing the day with his mate Finnigan Grollo, the son of fellow richie Daniel Grollo of the eponymous property empire.
All up, it was the kind of crowd that NSW Racing CEO Peter V’landys would kill for - or, as he might say, for which V’landys would launch a kamikaze operation.
A leave pass from Scomo
And that’s before we even get to the Tabcorp marquee.
Dear me, V’landys is advised to look away before we chronicle that formidable political assembly.
Clearly the Prime Minister - who was overseas representing the nation at the East Asia Summit - had given his blessing for his fellow miracle workers to head off to Flemington Racecourse to enjoy the sunshine and the races.
Even by the circa $10bn gaming company’s recent standards it was an impressive political turnout that joined Tabcorp boss David Attenborough for Melbourne Cup Day.
Keeping an eye on them was Birdcage debutant Yaron Finklestein, the PM’s principal private secretary.
Leading the Liberals was Foreign Minister Marise Payne - a form guide in one hand to check the talent, a phone in the other from which to monitor the world - in her traditional front row perch.
She was accompanied by her similarly horse mad partner Stuart Ayres, the NSW tourism minister, who after studying the most competitive Cup field in a decade, picked the winner Vow and Declare.
He’s not bluffing about his interest in this horse caper.
Leading the Nationals - and the country until travelling PM Scott Morrison’s plane brought him back home - was acting PM and Nationals leader Michael McCormack, who was along with his wife Catherine.
By the end of the day, McCormack was hosting cattle baron Gina Rinehart, whose entourage made a late entrance to Tabcorp, along with her favourite radio broadcaster Alan Jones.
Suncorp chair Christine McLoughlin was also a late arrival for a chat with the Foreign Minister.
Fellow Morrison ministers also enjoying the Tabcorp spread included McCormack’s National deputy Bridget McKenzie, Communications minister Paul Fletcher (who briefly popped out to see Ten boss Paul Anderson at his place), Education minister Dan Tehan and Veterans minister Darren Chester.
And in the pollies kept pouring.
Over there Jason Falinski. Over here Michelle Landry.
Local member Bill Shorten, his wife Chloe Shorten and their good friends Kimberley Kitching and Andrew Landeryou were tight as ever.
Fellow May 15 survivor Brendan O’Connor was also in the Birdcage.
Where else would a federal member be in the first year of the political cycle?
Can my friend Brian Lara come?
Alan Tudge was undoubtedly the best political guest of the day.
The Morrison minister turned up at the Tabcorp marquee with West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara.
How good is Tudgy?
Turns out the former Boston Consulting Group alumni shares a good mate from his consulting days with the Trinidadian batsman.
Another member of the Australian BCG hall of fame Ahmed Fahour was back after Derby Day with his lovely partner Hannah Holmes.
Worner rides again
Who else should we mention?
Recently reprieved former Tabcorp boss Elmer Funke Kupper was back in his old shop. So was Cup Day fixture Michael Photios and, over in Lexus, Janine Ellis, who like the Latitude boss Fahour was out at Flemington after a failed tilt at the sharemarket (in her case for roll up Zoo Retail).
And over in the mounting yard with his fellow horse owners, former Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner.
Despite this column’s enthusiastic backing, Worner’s jointly owned three-year old colt Constantinople finished a disappointing 13th place.
There’s always next year.
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