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Thor and The Bachelor draw Derby Day crowds

Blake 'The Bachelor' Garvey. Photo: AAP

Blake 'The Bachelor' Garvey. Photo: AAP

An awkward run-in between Blake Garvey and his ex-fiancee Sam Frost had tongues wagging on Derby Day, while Hollywood A-lister Chris Hemsworth played the strong, silent type.

Australian and international stars braved Saturday’s wind and rain in their monochrome best to party in Flemington’s famous Birdcage.

Such was the frivolity it was a wonder anyone even realised the Chris Waller-trained Preferment had won the Victoria Derby over on the racetrack.

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Preferment wins the Derby at Flemington

In the Swisse marquee, real estate agent and male strip company owner Garvey (the Bachelor) was playing happy families with Terry, the father of his new girlfriend and third-placed bachelorette, Louise Pillidge.

Blake 'The Bachelor' Garvey. Photo: AAP

Blake ‘The Bachelor’ Garvey. Photo: AAP

Pillidge was at a wedding, which was probably a good thing given Frost, who Garvey proposed to on the show before promptly dumping her, rocked up at the tent before making a swift exit.

At Johnnie Walker’s House of Walker marquee, Hemsworth put on his best strong, silent performance.

Fans and the media gathered for nearly an hour to see Thor, but when the dapper 31-year-old finally emerged on the balcony he didn’t say a word, posing serious-faced for 60 seconds before retreating.

Also turning heads was race day regular Jennifer Hawkins, who sizzled on her 10th year in the Melbourne Cup Carnival Birdcage.

She wore a sexy but classy figure-hugging black lace Alex Perry dress with a plunging neckline.

Megan Gale rocked her new-mum glow as she and her AFL player partner Shaun Hampson mingled with fellow models Ashley Hart and Montana Cox.

Italian designer and brand ambassador Margherita Missoni hung out at the Lavazza marquee, where Beyonce’s sister Solange Knowles performed for the crowd.

Missoni admitted she didn’t get the monochrome memo after arriving in a colourful dress, pink wedges and floral crown.

Meanwhile, Kate Peck won the award for bringing the most security guards.

The Myer ambassador had eight bodyguards in tow as she swanned around Flemington wearing the most expensive hat in the world.

Created by milliner Natalie Bikicki and jeweller John Calleija, it featured 1264 white diamonds worth a cool $3 million.

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