Spy goes to Flemington, Ellerslie SkyCity & the Viaduct

Matthew Ridge, Julie Christie and Brent Todd at Aqualine. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

Blonde bombshell Aja Rock was hobnobbing with the A-list in the birdcage at Flemington, Melbourne on Derby Day. She mingled with cricket WAG Lara Bingle and her old rocker friend Tommy Lee, formerly Mr Pammy Anderson.

On Melbourne Cup day, Aja was back in town with her fiance Dave Southcombe. They were the most glamorous couple at the Euro luncheon. The couple have set a date for their wedding next year and told Spy they are "really excited and can't wait for the big day".

The usual crowd of property developer wives and shopping socialites were out in throngs at Euro; many were selected in the best female fashion stakes. Judge Yvonne Bennetti awarded Amanda Hotchin best-dressed, though tittle-tattlers said it was no surprise to see many of Bennetti's frocks and accessories appearing on many of the contenders.

TV producer Julie Christie and her entourage brought celebrity glamour to the Viaduct, save of course, her brother Michael Molloy who bizarrely spat a tirade of abuse at TVNZ executive Jane Wilson after she put his sister's show on hold last week. But Christie was playing nice with her old pals April Ieremia, Matthew Ridge and Brent Todd, who was back in Auckland briefly for work and to join the table for lunch. It was a quieter year than most at Ellerslie Racecourse with mostly well-known media faces in attendance, such as Close Up producer Mike Valintine, Metro's Bevan Rapson, Sunday's Janet McIntyre and One News' Hayden Jones.

Herald on Sunday assistant editor Carolyne Meng-Yee won big with her bimbo bet on the main race. Selecting on names, the award-winning journo picked "Shocking" and "Crime Scene" for their tabloid appeal and "Mourilyan" for its connections to the Aga Khan and the Chechen president. It paid off.

At SkyCity, more than 700 people gathered to enjoy the day, including TVNZ's Breakfast boys Paul Henry, Peter Williams and Corin Dann. Steve Price was there, looking surprisingly happy for our snapper, despite being embarrassingly dumped from the Warriors' top job in favour of 23-year-old hunk Simon Mannering, 12 years his junior. Fashionista Denise L'Estrange-Corbet played head fashion judge alongside Chris Eagles from Emirates.


TVNZ: Henry not moving

Suggestion by a rumour-monger last week that beloved Breakfast star Paul Henry may be moving to a new afternoon magazine-style programme at the network is false. It was breathlessly reported that Henry will host a new TV show and will be replaced on Breakfast by New York-based Tim Wilson, a former features writer-turned-television reporter who has little experience in presenting live programmes. A news and current affairs source at the network said the reporter "had interviewed her typewriter". And Andi Brotherston added: "We are constantly looking at show ideas but there is no budget for a new show, there's nothing planned and definitely nothing scheduled." Wilson said he, too, had heard nothing. "No overtures have been made, my agents and representatives remain uncontacted," he dead-panned.


Hayley gets over Richie by focusing on new career

Former WAG Hayley Holt won't have any time to pine over old flame Richie McCaw while he's playing in Europe and fending off wannabe WAGS. She has a hot new career to focus on.

The sizzling single has joined the team from hit TV sports show The Crowd Goes Wild. Executive producer Ric Salizzo told Spy the professional ballroom dancer and champion snowboarder is involved with the show as it gears up to cover the Winter Olympics. This week, Holt presented a story about skeleton racer Louise Corcoran at Paradise Ice Rink on Wednesday night. The day before we Spy-ed her looking uber casual with not a scrap of make-up wandering around Ellerslie Racecourse following hottie presenter James Somerset and his cameraman as they filmed segments about the Melbourne Cup.

Rachel Glucina

Pictured above: Matthew Ridge, Julie Christie and Brent Todd during Melbourne Cup Day at Aqualine. Photo / Norrie Montgomery