Thoroughbred racing is the sport of the rich and famous, but arriving at the racecourse in A-list fashion is not just for the privileged few.
Sashaying on course after a swish trip in a boat or helicopter goes hand-in-hand with popping champagne corks and stepping out in your best designer dress.
When Princess Diana and Prince Charles visited Flemington on Melbourne Cup day in 1985, they meandered up the Maribyrnong River by ferry. Their arrival by boat was mostly for security reasons, but caused a stir among the crowd, who were there to catch a glimpse of Diana and her impeccable outfit as much as to cheer home Cup winner What A Nuisance.
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Today, many punters putter to the Melbourne Cup carnival along the river from the city to avoid lengthy traffic snarls and safely indulge in a few glasses of bubbly. Melbourne River Cruises run seven boats on carnival days, with the exception of the final day of the carnival, Stakes Day, transferring punters from Southbank to Flemington.
Some vessels dock for the day as floating marquee, with guests able to come and go as they please between the racecourse and the boat.
But helicopter is the transport à la mode for the biggest celebrities visiting the track during cup week.
Texan actress and supermodel Jerry Hall and her daughter, Georgia May Jagger, who judged Myer Fashions on the Field in 2010, and music superstar Liza Minnelli, who partied at the track in 2009, are among the glittering stars who have opted for the seven-minute chopper ride to Flemington from the CBD.
For celebrities, a helicopter journey avoids prying eyes but, at $410 return for Oaks or Stakes days ($480 on Cup and Derby days), any punter can be a high flier.
Heli-Serv has the exclusive contract to operate helicopters to and from Flemington during the Cup carnival, and counts everyday racegoers among their passengers, as well as the cream of Birdcage celebrities.
The trip takes in the city skyline and the colour and buzz of 100,000 punters partying at the track below, and beats the battle for a seat on a crowded train.
Vitamin giant Swisse, which has hosted celebrities such as Sex And The City star Kim Cattrall and Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman at Flemington, is one of the corporates that prefers to delivers its guests to the track by chauffeured car.
Former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins – a regular racegoer as the face of retail giant Myer – also elects for a limousine. Uber Melbourne, a car-hire service that launched in Melbourne in January, has a fleet of well-dressed drivers in luxury cars on standby.
“Our goal is to be a classy and reliable alternative to taxis and spring racing is when people are looking for that,” Uber’s spokesman David Rohrsheim said.
Bookings for an Uber car, which costs about 30-40 per cent more than a regular taxi, are done by app and charged to an account, so no money changes hands in the car.
But not every racegoer of wealth and status opts for fancy transport. The Japanese owners of Delta Blues, after winning the Cup in 2006, were advised that the train would be the quickest way to the after-party at the Flower Drum restaurant. The Cup trophy, worth $125,000, left the track in a limo, but three of the part-owners boarded a train bound for Flinders Street, and rubbed shoulders with everyday passengers, who were thrilled to share in their excitement.
