The camera-shy, the dance movers and footy’s elite: Inside the Birdcage on Derby Day

October 31, 2026 — 6:53pmIt feels like you’ve gone through the Looking Glass when a Kings Cross nightclub identity like John Ibrahim holds court in the Birdcage and the Victorian premier’s wife refuses to have her picture taken.Collingwood star Josh Daicos and fiancée Annalise Dalins are used to a black-and-white dress code.Getty ImagesSuch is life trackside on Derby Day at Flemington circa 2026, where the weather dampened the mood and the once-elite hospitality precinct existed in an ever-shrinking format.Even some of the celebrities, who enjoy the hospitality of sponsors and are dressed free, are becoming reluctant to play the game.Radio personality Carrie Bickmore was refusing interviews, leaving the heavy lifting to WAGS and their sporting other halves.Case in point: influencer Annalise Dalins looked radiant, fresh from her hens’ celebration in Sorrento, wearing white Alin Le’Kal before her upcoming wedding to Collingwood footballer Josh Daicos. His Brownlow medallist brother Nick was also in for the day.As you can never have too many Daicoses (Daici?), Brownlow medallist Nick and Arlette Amor were also in attendance.Getty ImagesSipping a glass of champagne in Crown’s secret bar complete with vodka ice luge, Dalins said she and Daicos were all organised for their “small and intimate” wedding.“I wanted to be comfortable, but still getting the white theme going on for me,” said the bride-to-be.“We’re just looking forward to the carnival, looking forward to seeing everyone,” she said. “This time in Melbourne, everyone’s just so out and about.”The funky tunes in Crown’s party zone were provided by DJ Stephanie Stean, alas flying solo with her usual other creative half, Stefanie Catalano, in Bali as her husband, Antony Catalano, awaits his next day in court for alleged domestic violence offences against his third wife.Laura Kane enjoying the Crown marquee on the last weekend of the AFLW season.Penny StephensAFLW boss Laura Kane was in the house on the last weekend of the regular season. After finals, she will jet off to Vietnam for some downtime before returning for the men’s 2027 season.Rebecca Harding and Andy Lee attend Derby Day, fresh from their recent New York wedding. Getty ImagesCrown Resorts boss David Tsai and Melbourne casino chief Ed Domingo were on hosting duties, with their guests including newlyweds Rebecca Harding and Andy Lee, fresh from their wedding in New York, shoemaker Lana Wilkinson, Sydney fashion designer Pip Edwards, footballer-turned-commentator Joel Selwood and designer Nadia Bartel, while Crown ambassador Bec Judd was in her element working the room.Pollies thin on the ground ...While the premier’s wife, Fiona Rothville, didn’t want to play ball on the couch at Crown, there were a few of our elected representatives – both blue and red – willing to see and be seen.Retiring Victorian Liberal Michael O’Brien was doing the rounds like a lap of honour, before probably handing over the reins in Malvern to Amelia Hamer.O’Brien told CBD he would help leader Jess Wilson with her transition to government, before likely returning to the bar as well acting as a mediator, the skills for which he thought were akin to politics.Liberal senator Sarah Henderson and Rory Grant from Nine in the Nine marquee.Penny StephensAt Nine, opposition communications spokeswoman and Victorian senator Sarah Henderson was happy to be back trackside, having missed recent years thanks to scheduled sitting weeks. Nine chief executive Matt Stanton was playing host to millionaire pub scion, radio network owner and former federal member Craig Laundy. Nine owns this masthead.Tim Wilson and husband Ryan Bolger, controversially in navy, at the TAB marquee.Penny StephensShadow treasurer Tim Wilson was doing the rounds with his primary school teacher husband Ryan Bolger, while Liberal senator Anne Ruston was at TAB, as was former Labor state treasurer Jaclyn Symes.… except in the Committee RoomNoted karaoke queen Peta Credlin resisted the urge to join Human Nature for a couple of songs in the Victoria Racing Club Committee Room on Saturday.It was back in September that CBD bought news of the conservative political commentator Credlin and former PM Tony Abbott turning up at the Portarlington pub with a bunch of mates and having a crack at a couple of tracks with the local cover band.Known to love a tambourine, Credlin joined the surprised band for a version of The Angels classic Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again … – without the famous but profane ad-lib in the chorus.So on Derby Day when Human Nature was introduced to guests in the hallowed Committee Room, for a moment CBD questioned if she would give us another karaoke moment. Alas, she simply sang along from her seat.Credlin is in her rock star era, having gone viral in recent days for putting her News24 colleague Andrew Clennell in his box after he went off script on her show.The Committee Room, the VRC’s inner sanctum, was a hive of influence and elegance.Sam Armytage was in the Nine Marquee on Derby Day.Penny StephensThe political class was well represented in the invitation-only enclave, with Racing Minister Anthony Carbines, Minister for Trade and Tourism Natalie Suleyman, member for Essendon Danny Pearson, who won’t be contesting the state election this month, opposition racing spokesman Tim McCurdy, federal member for Wannon Dan Tehan (we hear there might be a new flame in his life) and NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley enjoying the day.Governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner added a regal element to proceedings. TAB boss Gil McLachlan has always been pretty quick on his feet and is a student of form, so we are tipping he had found a winner when he broke into a spontaneous jig after cheering a horse across the line part-way through the day. John Travolta, eat your heart out.Derby Day marked the beginning of a significant week for Victoria Racing Club chair Neil Wilson and his wife, Stephanie. Wilson will step down as VRC chair after the Cup carnival, handing the role over to chair-elect Vin Cox.Crown chair Martin Pakula, notably not wearing the traditional Derby Day morning suit, was spotted among the guests, as was Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison, VRC director Ann Peacock, champion jockey Damien Oliver and his wife, Trish, Racing Victoria board member and newly appointed chair of the Melbourne Market Authority Paul Guerra, entertainment promoter Paul Dainty, America’s Cup-winning skipper John Bertrand, and Carla McGuire. Her husband, Eddie, was helming the Nine broadcast of the meeting.The VRC board brought together representatives from across the racing industry and hosted board members and executives from the Melbourne Racing Club, Moonee Valley Racing Club and several international clubs, as well as media executives and representatives of their many sponsors.Take a puntAs well as the pollies, McLachlan’s TAB marquee was where footballers mixed with business types. While the days of every corporate heavyweight turning up trackside are long gone, a few heavy hitters still donned black and white.Jacqui Felgate and Sharnelle Vella looked equally gorgeous in the TAB Marquee.Penny StephensYarra Capital boss Dion Hershan was there, along with head of equities at Aussie Super Andrew Smith. Media entrepreneur Craig Hutchison was on the bubbles, while former North great Wayne Carey was on the beers.Former Brisbane footballer Lachie Neale with Emma Field at Mumm Marquee.3AW broadcaster Jacqui Felgate was catching up with similarly gorgeous and now former ABC Mornings host Sharnelle Vella, who was enjoying a day away from her seven-month-old daughter. Elsewhere in the Birdcage, now Seven talent Sam Armytage was – quelle horreur – in the same dress as a fellow racegoer, while Lachie Neale and new love Emma Field were at Mumm.From our partners