Derby day 2023 LIVE updates: Punters head to Flemington for official start of the Melbourne Cup carnival

The gates opened at 9.30am but it will be a little while before the first celebrity arrivals, and some serious fashion.

But here’s a quick cheat sheet of which celebrities will be where today: At Lexus, expect to see former Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, TV personality Melissa Leong and designer Pip Edwards.

Punters line up just before gates open at Flemington for Derby Day 2023.Credit: Melissa Singer

Also attending in a “private capacity” – meaning they won’t do any official media, but we will be scouting for them – is actor/director Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Bonaz, model and fellow Byron Bay resident Elsa Pataky and model Pia Whitesell. As well as the usual cast of fashion designers, TV personalities and AFL footballers.

The Victoria Racing Club has its own cast of ambassadors and special guests including media personality Christian Wilkins, Danish royalty Count Nikolai of Monpezat (who’s studying in Sydney), body activist and model Georgina Burke and the recently-announced Gemma Owen, who’s a Love Island UK alumni and daughter of former Liverpool striker Michael Owen.

The guest list at Penfolds, the main sponsor of Derby Day, is AFL heavy, with retired champion Lance “Buddy” Franklin and his wife, Jesinta Franklin, as well as Joel and Britt Selwood, and Tom and Emma Hawkins.

Birdcage newcomer Crown is making an entrance by hosting media bigwigs including Karl Stefanovic and Bec Judd, while champagne sponsor Mumm has models Jess Gomes, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and a bunch of other beautiful people.