Is the Melbourne Cup dead? Lacklustre event attracts only a handful of celebrities – after Derby Day was flooded with Aussie A-listers

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Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival started with excitement on Saturday as celebrities gathered at Flemington Racecourse for Derby Day.

However, the Melbourne Cup, famous for being a major national event, didn’t see much excitement from the celebrities attending on Tuesday; their arrival was underwhelming.

People at the event said this year’s main race wasn’t very exciting, especially compared to the beginning, which was a big hit – so much so that Tammy Hembrow traveled all the way from Queensland to attend.

Derby Day was full of stylish guests, with many socialites and wives and girlfriends of athletes (WAGs) choosing black and white outfits. Notable attendees included Pip Edwards, Lindy Klim, Bec Judd, and her sister Kate Twigley.

Tammy, age 31, was seen out with a group of well-known personalities including Nadia Bartel, Stella Klim, Annalise Dalins, Brooke Warne, and Hannah Dal Sasso.

Australian actress Tessa James, who doesn’t often make public appearances, was among the many famous Australians who attended the event.

Unlike previous years, the Melbourne Cup seemed to have fewer high-profile attendees, with only a small number of well-known figures present.

Notable attendees included Samantha Armytage, Stella Klim, and Julie Bishop, along with several other personalities from television and morning shows.

Bec Judd, as expected, was at the Melbourne Cup. Surprisingly, though, her close friend Nadia Bartel didn’t attend, even though she was at Derby Day just the day before.

This year’s event felt quite different from last year’s, which was a real star-studded affair! We’re talking names like Nicky Hilton and Ronan Keating – it was a much bigger scene then.

The 2023 event included performances by Delta Goodrem and appearances by Princess Diana’s nieces, Lady Eliza and Amelia Spencer.

Even though there weren’t many celebrities present, around ten thousand regular horse racing fans thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Flemington Racecourse, undeterred by the rainy weather.

Celebrations continued late into Tuesday night after Jamie Melham’s historic win in the main event.

At 29, she became the first female jockey to win both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, achieving the victory aboard her horse, Half Yours.

This victory happened ten years after Michelle Payne made history as the first woman to win Australia’s most famous horse race.

The excitement began early, with hundreds of racegoers arriving over six hours before the race to secure prime viewing locations along the track.

More and more people have been going to the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in recent years. This year, around 90,000 people attended, but that’s still less than the record of 122,000 set in 2003.

Celebrities and everyday people both favored vibrant, solid colors, and umbrellas were a particularly popular and useful fashion statement.

Helicopters flew overhead, bringing VIPs to the Birdcage, a special area known for hosting celebrities, athletes, prominent social figures, and business leaders.

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2025-11-06 00:35