Out with the Grange and in with the champagne soakings at the Melbourne Cup’s exclusive Birdcage

The Grange isn’t flowing at Flemington’s exclusive Birdcage enclosure this year, but there will be no shortage of champagne with solo sailor Jess Watson drenched in Mumm at the opening of the exclusive enclosure on Thursday.

Penfolds is exiting the Birdcage this Melbourne Cup carnival, but Melbourne’s A-list will be able to console themselves with caviar bumps at Crown and kingfish sashimi and wagyu beef at Lexus.

Regular punters may be feeling the pinch from the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation, but in the towering temporary structures that make up the Birdcage there is still plenty of time to smell Flemington’s fragrant roses.

Mumm

Mumm has returned to a nautical theme this year (one carnival its marquee featured a full-size yacht), but the vibe is yacht club in Mumm’s red and white colours complete with porthole windows and lifebuoys.

Watson, who circumnavigated the globe on her pink yacht, ended up drenched from head to toe in champagne while launching Mumm’s marquee. But, she said, she’s used to it.

“It was bubbly, not salty for a change,” she said. “I probably should have been better at jumping out of the way.”

Watson said the boat theme was right up her street.

“The nautical vibe here is making me feel a little more at home,” she said. “Otherwise, I think I’d be a bit out of my comfort zone.”

Lexus

In pole position looking down Flemington’s final straight, the Landmark by Lexus marquee is bigger than previous years, with balconies on every level.

The kitchen is being headed by chef Josh Raine, formerly of Tetsuya’s and now chef and owner of 40Res, and will offer luxury during the Melbourne Cup carnival – a two-course seated menu for racegoers who want to rest their feet.

The menu in the downstairs restaurant features kingfish sashimi topped with lime ponzu and wagyu beef paired with smoked eggplant, while a third level patisserie and cocktail bar will offer a sugar and alcohol hit.

The marquee’s interior, designed by Brahman Perera, features a dining room downstairs filled with glass mirrored tables along with a pamper room for makeup, a first floor with a wide balcony overlooking the track and lounge area, and, on the top floor, a coffee, dessert and record bar.

“We’ve got the new space, it’s much larger, it’s much wider, Perera said. “We can have a little bit more room to play. I wanted there to be three different feelings as you ascend through the spaces.”

Tabcorp

Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan was on hand at the gambling giant’s two-storey green marquee, which he described as “the world’s most expensive pop-up marquee at $7 million per square foot or something”.

But a spokesman for Tabcorp said this was just a throwaway line and the marquee did not cost that much.

Crown

Crown’s three-storey marquee features a free-flowing champagne tower at ground level made up of 500 crystal champagne flutes.

“It doesn’t get any better, and the view from up there is the best view at the track,” Bec Judd, Crown’s ambassador for the Carnival, said.

Guests will be served freshly shucked oysters, caviar bumps and vodka campanelle pasta topped with truffles, with chef Guillaume Brahimi overseeing the menu.

Hair and makeup touch-ups are on hand from celebrity stylist Joey Scandizzo and Jade Kisnorbo.

Kirin Ichiban

Brewing giant Lion unveiled a Japanese izakaya-styled marquee, which it says is the biggest in the Birdcage, hosting up to 400 guests.

Accompanying Kirin Ichiban beer, guests will graze from a sushi station, with a 50 kilogram whole tuna being delivered each day to be broken down by chefs for sashimi, nigri and maki rolls.

Guests in the wood-panelled three storey marquee will be entertained by a Japanese drumming group and DJs.

The ground floor includes a secret bar serving beer cocktails – which are not snakebites but instead combine Kirin with rum and limoncello.

Nine

Channel Nine is positioned on “Millionaires Row” at the front of the Birdcage as broadcast partner and owner of this masthead.

The marquee was launched by broadcast veteran Eddie McGuire and racing commentator Francesca Cumani.

“It’s 10 years ago the Prince of Penzance won the Melbourne Cup with Michelle Payne, the first female jockey on board,” McGuire said. “Who knows, we might get our second on Tuesday.”

Guests will have a choice of salty or spicy cocktails and will eat prawn toast made by the Atlantic Group.

Marmont

At the back of the Birdcage the VRC’s “Marmont” marquee, headed up by former DJ Grant Smillie, allows public access to the once invitation-only Birdcage – for the price of $2200 each.

Marmont is serving prawn rolls, salmon ceviche tostadas and truffle fries paired with paloma tequila cocktails.

“We’ve got a churros station, which is a kind of Spanish doughnut but with a chocolate fountain that you can dip into,” Smillie said. “Hopefully people don’t get too carried away with it after a few too many drinks.”

Parade Social

The VRC has also commandeered what was the Penfolds marquee overlooking the parade ring for the ‘Parade Social’, where tickets for Cup Day are priced from $1700 each.

However, there was no preview of the space as builders are still frantically working on the marquee to get it ready for Derby Day on Saturday.

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