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Former Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello told Emerald City he and wife Terry Bivano were looking forward to a more relaxed carnival away from the track, instead opting for a private lunch at a mate’s Paddington pub.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus will trade her goggles and one-piece for heels and headwear as an ambassador for Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, where she will celebrate trackside at Flemington.
GH Mumm Champagne ambassador Montana Cox will spend Melbourne Cup at The Commons at Ormond Collective.
Across town, GH Mumm ambassador and model Montana Cox will raise a glass at local hotspot The Commons where stylist to the stars Elliot Garnaut will dine alongside his influencer bestie Rozalia Russian and sister-in-law.
It’s no Birdcage, but Emerald City is sure VIPs in both cities will lap up Melbourne Cup wherever they spend the day – hopefully without too many social media slip-ups.
Hayden Burbank and Mark Babbage at a grand final function in Perth.
Membership expulsion after border breach
Chatter among the high-flying members of Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs continues to surround lockdown escapee and club member Mark Babbage.
Emerald City understands the financial planner – who lists his role as treasurer of the tennis club members’ committee on his LinkedIn profile – has had his membership revoked after his border breaching jaunt to Western Australia for the AFL grand final to watch his beloved Demons.
Club members have told Emerald City many noses are out of joint, forcing them to rethink Babbage’s membership of the club that boasts Josh Frydenberg, Lleyton Hewitt and James Hird among its numbers.
Patience is a virtue when gaining access to the exclusive club; it has a waiting list of 11 years.
Earlier in October, Babbage and his fellow Melbourne fan Hayden Burbank fronted court in WA, where Babbage pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the state’s COVID laws and one charge of fraud.
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is a member of the exclusive Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club.Credit:Chris Hopkins
Both men are currently serving the first three months of their 10-month jail terms, with the other seven months of their sentences suspended.
A spokesperson for the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club said they could not comment on club members.
Colourful Sydney figure James “Big Jim” Byrnes.Credit:instagram
‘Big Jim’ offers insights on new podcast(s)
It seems like every man and his dog has a podcast these days, and now that long list of content makers will include flamboyant financier James “Big Jim” Byrnes.
“Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” he tells Emerald City ahead of his latest venture, in which the former Alan Bond adviser will tackle global issues from fossil fuels to men’s manners.
Known as @ClassicStyleGuy on social media, Byrnes will launch not one but three podcasts and YouTube channels exploring an array of topics; Classic Style Guy, Classic Car Guy and Byrnes Insolvency.
“Classic Style Guy is about men’s health, manners, mental health, diet, training and relationships.” he says. “Byrnes Insolvency is about the markets, property, shares, bitcoin, interest rates and when difficulties come.”
As Bond’s bankruptcy adviser, Byrnes famously rocked up to court in a Rolls-Royce, and he once arrived at his own bankruptcy hearing in a Bentley.
His love of classic cars and young women makes it no surprise the father-of-two is also launching a car channel for petrol heads that will apparently feature “hot girls driving” as well as reviews.
Byrnes says he is currently between homes and has taken up residence at Bondi’s Adina hotel until he makes his next move on the Sydney property market.