Racegoers will finally see some sunshine - and a host of AFL players - on Stakes Day, following a cool and wet Melbourne Cup Carnival.
A number of marquees in the invite-only Birdcage will close for the final and most relaxed race day.
Tabcorp, however, will be busy hosting Hawks Grant Birchall and Jack Gunston, as well as Bulldog Lachie Hunter and Eagles young-gun Daniel Venables.
In the spirit of Family Day, AFL great Billy Brownless will be joined by daughters Ruby and Lucy in the floral-themed marquee.
Richmond's Nick Vlastuin, meanwhile, will spend his day across the road at the Kennedy marquee, which is also hosting entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan and twin fashion bloggers Steph and Jess Dadon.
Lexus' guest list is predominantly Melbourne locals and clients, as well as its ambassador, racing royalty Kate Waterhouse.
It's a low key end to the carnival, which saw fewer celebrities flown in for the festivities following the departure of sponsors Myer, Lavazza and Emirates from the Birdcage.
New sponsors, including Seppelt Wines and Furphy beer, made their marquees exclusive to corporate customers.
Bad weather also had an impact on crowd numbers, with attendance at a wet Cup Day down to down to 83,471, compared to 90,536 the previous year.
But the Bureau of Meteorology expects afternoon sunshine and a top of 22 on Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
