It’s strictly confidential in the marquee

Sure the springtime weather was cooler than a polar bear’s toenail, but there was a spark to Melbourne Cup 2017.

Things seemed noticeably sunny inside Richard Umbers’ Myer marquee.

Was it radiating from Umbers’ vibrant check suit? Or Rebecca Judd’s borderline fluoro pink frock?

Jennifer Hawkins with Myer CEO Richard Umbers. Picture Aaron Francis.

Or was it the afterglow of incoming Myer chairman Garry Hounsell’s explosive claim, made in a letter to shareholders the day before, that he had been sounded out by the retailer’s billionaire nemesis Solomon Lew to chair Premier Investments?

Lew said the claims were a “lie and a fabrication’’.

But Hounsell, along with his wife Julie, wasn’t impressed with that response.

“I’m speaking to my lawyers,” Hounsell told us.

Hounsell’s account, which he wasn’t keen to detail to us yesterday, is that the offer was made about a decade ago by an adviser of Lew’s.

We understand that was Arnold Bloch Leibler’s Henry Lanzer, a lawyer who has since joined Premier Investments as a director and who yesterday denied the ­account.

“I have never approached Garry Hounsell to take the role of chairman of Premier Investments,” Lanzer said.

Lew’s camp says the discussions were about a possible non-executive director position on the board, but claims of an offer of the chairmanship are fantasy.

Will a paper trail emerge to resolve it?

“It was all face-to-face,” Hounsell tells us.

There will be a lot more said about that encounter ahead of Myer’s annual meeting at its flagship Melbourne store on November 24.

Umbers for his part kept well away from intrigue.

“That is a matter for the board,” he told us.

And, to be fair, Umbers was flat out hosting. Among the crowd in his fashionable marquee were his store’s face Jennifer Hawkins, Myer’s advisers GRACosway’s Ben Wilson and Goldman Sachs’ Christian Johnson and Umbers’ former boss Ahmed Fahour.

The erstwhile chief postie Fahour, who was along with wife Dionnie, was still recovering from jet lag after a short-and-sharp trip to sweltering Dubai for his board duties on the Australian Post-backed delivery business Aramex. No wonder he was wearing a scarf.

Ahmed Fahour with wife Dionnie. Picture: David Geraghty.

Bill Shorten and wife Chloe Shorten head to Lion’s marquee. Picture: AAP

Ricky Ponting and Christian Johnson in the Birdcage at the Melbourne Cup. Picture: David Geraghty

Paris Jackson presses herself up against the window of the Myer Marquee. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Lion on the line

Flemington regular Bill Shorten and lovely wife Chloe — on trend in hot pink and red — drew the crowds into Stuart Irvine’s Lion marquee.

After Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her handsome handbag David Panton starred on Derby Day, yesterday the Prime Ministerial couple-in-waiting were the Birdcage’s most feted guests.

“Beautiful Melbourne weather,” Shorten declared.

The climate didn’t seem to be bothering the Member for nearby Maribyrnong, who said he’d been to colder race days in his almost 30 years coming to the Cup. Apparently 2004 was even worse.

The CEO of this fine news organ Nicholas Gray (who went on to win the trifecta in the big race) enjoyed a beer with Greenhill investment banker Roger Feletto, while Chloe caught up with the Libs’ surprise Member for Chisholm Julia Banks.

Chloe Shorten talks to Liberal MP Julia Banks in the Lion Nathan Marquee. Picture: David Geraghty

Also along were Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman, Shorten’s shadow minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Brendan O’Connor and Martin Ferguson, one of corporate Australia’s favourite former Labor cabinet ministers.

Model behaviour

In the Lexus high rise, KPMG corporate adviser Jon Adgemis was on the mid-levels squiring his new model partner Megan MacKenzie about the party tent.

It was the first Melbourne Cup Carnival for MacKenzie, who hails from Arizona but more recently has been based in Los Angeles.

The new year will see MacKenzie embark on a new course of study, as well as some time in front of the camera. But before that the new couple will head to the US for Thanksgiving.

Also enjoying the Lexus hospitality were Sky News Australia boss Angelos Frangopoulos, Red Kite’s Naomi Simson, who was sipping champagne snuggled in a three-quarter velvet cape, and swimming legend Ian Thorpe.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire was a late arrival after a day in Amanda Elliott’s VRC committee room, dapper in morning suit as the afternoon sun finally shone.

While former SBS chair Nihal Gupta resisted the lure of the hip hop upstairs, Qantas boss Alan Joyce and his Spring Carnival entourage, Olivia Wirth and Paul Howes, headed right for it.

Howes was celebrating his highly suspicious Melbourne Cup winning streak. “Third year in a row!” Howes told us, after putting $100 on the winner Rekindling.

Joyce and his crew had spent most of their day at Emirates, along with Flight Centre’s Graham “Skroo” Turner and trucking billionaire Lindsay Fox.

The Middle Eastern airline’s balcony overlooks the home straight and is normally prime carnival real estate. Less so yesterday in Melbourne’s frigid weather.

Jon Adgemis and Megan MacKenzie in the Lexus Marquee. Picture David Geraghty.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce with Paul Howes in the Emirates marquee. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Greg Hunt and wife Paula in the Birdcage at the Melbourne Cup. Picture: David Geraghty.

All you can eat

Outside of the Birdcage over at J ames Packer’s Crown Resorts, where hospitality came at $1200 a head, guests enjoyed a lavish spread by the winning post.

That was despite the fact that the gambling den is no longer a carnival sponsor thanks to axe-wielding executive chairman John Alexander.

Chief financial officer Ken Barton was again trackside after a strong showing on Saturday and was deep in conversation with his resorts boss, Barry Felstead.

Proving that old habits die hard, former Packer executive Peter Yates, now running investments for the Myer family, even made an appearance, as did Fox Sports chief commercial officer Peter Campbell, who previously ran the AFL’s media arm.

In the Tabcorp tent

But the day belonged to Paula Dwyer and David Attenborough’s Tabcorp, even if the pair are still waiting for their $11 billion merger with Harry Boon’s Tatts to be waved through.

When rich-lister Lloyd Williams’ Rekindling finished first past the post there was near silence in the gaming group’s Millionaires’ Row marquee.

Greg Hunt, David Attenborough and Tom Callachor. Picture: David Geraghty.

That made Attenborough, who watched the race with a coffee-sipping Health and Sports Minister Greg Hunt and wife Paula, the day’s biggest winner.

“David is a very happy man, because that horse is the best outcome for Tabcorp,” Hunt said after the race.

Tabcorp chairman Paula Dwyer places a bet. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Dwyer, in shade-of-the-season lilac, did the rounds early before heading off to the VRC’s committee room to join VRC chair Amanda Elliott’s lunch.

Marise Payne with partner, NSW member for Penrith Stuart Ayres. Picture: Aaron Francis.

Once again the corporate marquee was a who’s who of politics. Defence Minister Marise Payne and her NSW Sports Minister partner Stuart Ayres were, as usual, taking the punt seriously. Today it’s back to work in Sydney.

NSW Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios was there with his mate rich-lister scion Charles Curran, also talking with the Nationals’ Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack. The effervescent Photios was lamenting his 6am flight back to Sydney ahead of his daughter’s school orientation at 9.30am. At least he booked business class.

Also there was Victorian boy senator James Paterson, Nationals senator (and star of Sky News) Bridget McKenzie, Victoria’s Attorney-General Martin Pakula and Premier Daniel Andrews, who arrived just before last drinks. Even on-leave Tabcorp director Elmer Funke Kupper dropped in.

Best and brightest shine

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