Melbourne Cup 2019: Billionaire Anthony Pratt’s entourage and cup tip
The sun is out and Australia’s rich and powerful are dressed up to the nines. It’s Cup Day! Join Margin Call as we survey the Melbourne Cup scene at Flemington.
READ MORE: Melbourne Cup 2019 live coverage, results
1.30pm: Cup Day Cabinet
While the Prime Minister is overseas on work, much of his cabinet is getting down to business at Flemington Racecourse for Melbourne Cup Day.
So situation normal for the first Tuesday in November.
Gaming giant Tabcorp’s marquee in the Birdcage is, as always, packed with the most formidable concentration of political muscle.
Leading the Liberals is 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, accompanied by her similarly horse-mad partner Stuart Ayres, the NSW tourism minister.
Both were wrestling over who to back in the most competitive field in years.
And leading the Nationals - and the country until travelling PM Scott Morrison’s plane brings him back from the East Asia Summit - acting PM and Nationals leader Michael McCormack.
Margin Call last spotted him leaving for a stroll around the Birdcage where, to our surprise, he wasn’t engulfed mobbed as he walked past the voting public.
No doubt they were just being polite.
Fellow Morrison ministers spotted inside enjoying the Tabcorp spread included McCormack’s National deputy Bridget McKenzie, (as noted below), Communications Minister Paul Fletcher (who is off to a show in the country tonight with his arts minister hat on), Education minister Dan Tehan and Veterans minister Darren Chester.
And in the pollies kept pouring.
Over there Jason Falinski. Over here Brendan O’Connor.
Where else would a federal member be in the first year of the political cycle?
Rachel Baxendale 1.22pm: The ‘Minister for Thoroughbreds’
Party divisions may have been making headlines in recent months, but the federal Nationals are out in force at today’s Melbourne Cup.
Joining Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in the Tabcorp marquee was his deputy Nationals leader, Agriculture and Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie, who declared she’s the “Minister for Thoroughbreds”.
Like Prime Minister Scott Morrison, McKenzie is backing Vow and Declare in the big race, but she maintains she was behind the gelding before her boss got in on the action.
Amid tensions between her Victorian branch of the Nats and some MPs from up north, McKenzie’s plus-one for the day is Rockhampton-based Assistant Minister for Children and Families Michelle Landry, who said she was enjoying her first ever Melbourne Cup.
Also part of the Nats contingent are fellow Victorian and Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel Darren Chester and his wife Julie.
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12.38pm: Anthony Pratt’s Billionaire bling
The sun is out and so are Melbourne’s billionaires. It’s Cup Day!
Richest of them all Anthony Pratt - the $13.14 billion man - has begun the race day in Lion’s Furphy Marquee. What better place to spend some time with Lion Nathan’s Australian boss Stuart Irvine, one of his box maker Visy’s biggest local clients.
Pratt was along with his partner Claudine, his billionairess sister Heloise and her rockstar partner Jon Stevens.
Also along with Pratt: those magazine-famous socks with his beaming face on them, which he wore under a pair of bespoke patent gold lace ups.
For the man who has everything…
And the billionaire’s tip for the Cup: the Chosen One. Of course.
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