Twenty minutes sleep and ready to rock: Robbie Williams lands for the Melbourne Cup

November 2, 2026 — 7:11pm

After a 32-hour flight to get here – “Mexico to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Sydney, Sydney to Melbourne” – during which he reckons he got 20 minutes’ sleep, British pop star Robbie Williams has got his bearings and is ready to rock the Melbourne Cup.

Williams, a former enfant terrible of the ’90s boy band and early 2000s Britpop eras, briefly recalled his wild child days when appearing before the media at Flemington Racecourse on Monday.

“I was just thinking, the mounting yard is what they used to call my house. I dare say the mounting yard here is very, very different,” he offered, in a line that might have been fresh in 2006, but doesn’t land so well in 2026.

He then switched into “dad mode” – Williams has four children – spotting in the media throng TV reporter Tyra Stowers, who is pregnant with her first child, and sharing with her some generous insights into life ahead with a little one.

The Angels, Let Me Entertain You and Rock DJ hitmaker changed the game for the standard of pre-match entertainment at the AFL grand final when he performed in 2022, and now he’s back to lead the entertainment revolution at the Melbourne Cup.

Williams will perform four songs in the mounting yard before the Cup and then will do a full show at Flemington’s festival site in The Elms enclosure after the last race on Tuesday.

The Melbourne Cup gig has him teaming up again with Kylie Rogers, the Victoria Racing Club’s chief executive. Rogers was the mastermind behind Williams’ AFL grand final deal when she was the executive general manager of customer and commercial at the AFL.

For Williams, Melbourne is “kind of my spiritual home” and “my happy place”. For good measure he added, “I love Australia.” He knows how to cover all bases.

He gets that sporting events like the Cup and the grand final are emotionally and culturally embedded Down Under, and he takes his part in the pageantry and hype of the occasions seriously.

“Obviously, this is an event that is ingrained in your hearts and the way that people talk about it is with reverence,” he said.

“I understand those sorts of events because I’ve grown up with them in England, too. I know what they need. So, if there is reverence in the tone towards something that means a lot to Australians, then I’m like, OK, then I’m taking this very seriously – these are my mates.”

For the record, Williams, who will bring his Britpop tour to Marvel Stadium on November 11, is tipping the Ciaron Maher-trained Shockletz in the Cup.

His pick is not based on form, rather a misheard name. He was getting into a chocolate-coloured suit for the media call, heard the horse’s name as “Chocolates” and thought it was a sign.

Hanson’s Cup eve lunch debut

Pauline Hanson’s roadshow rolled into Melbourne on Monday, with the One Nation leader making her debut appearance among pollies and corporates at the annual Cup eve Australian Hoteliers Association National Board Luncheon.

Hanson’s introduction to the room, one of the major corporate gatherings in Melbourne in the lead up to the Cup, was greeted by a reasonable round of applause from guests and continues her commitment to be a regular presence in Melbourne in the countdown to this month’s state election.

While she was in handshake mode, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is overseas, and federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor gave the business-heavy gathering a miss. The pair missed a good show.

The event was held at Como House in South Yarra this year, rather than at its usual location in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

CBD spotted among the power-suited throng TAB boss Gillon McLachlan (how could we miss him with that lustrous hair?); federal Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell; Liberal frontbenchers Dan Tehan, Anne Ruston and Jane Hume; former Bill Shorten staffer Ryan Liddell; Nationals MPs Bridget McKenzie and David Littleproud; former Nationals leader Michael McCormack; Labor minister Julian Hill; Labor national secretary Paul Erickson; Victorian opposition racing spokesman Tim McCurdy; and pub scion and Tapt Radio Network owner Craig Laundy.

Also holding court was former NSW MP turned Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios.

Meanwhile, we also spied Liberal senator Sarah Henderson and Labor MP Jo Briskey, who reluctantly showed off her dance moves.

Guests dined on an entree of smoked Murray cod; a main of Wagyu eye fillet; and tiramisu cannolo and lemon meringue tart on a stick for dessert. All courses were washed down with a selection of plonk from the Treasury Wines Estate portfolio.

Ian Cover handled emcee duties with aplomb while Tony McEvoy, who trained Half Yours to win last year’s Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double, gave his views on this year’s cup field. Plenty of notes were taken!

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