CBD

Jalco's 'small beer' legal costs

A food manufacturing company run by Smorgon scion Barry looks set to avoid a court-imposed slim down over the collapse of the Tony Ferguson weight-loss empire.

Smorgon's company Jalco both makes the shakes for Tony Ferguson Weight Management and owns half the group, which fell into administration in August.

Ferguson's son Christopher wanted several thousand dollars for legal fees run up during the share sale in 2011. Jalco didn't pay, so last week Pablo Honey, which is the trustee of Christopher's family trust, went to the NSW Supreme Court and filed a lawsuit to have Jalco wound up.

Pablo Honey is presumably named after Radiohead's first album, the one with hit single Creep on it, released in 1993 before the group exhibited its full Pink Floydian prog-rock tendencies. But anyone hoping to find out who thinks who is a creep when the case comes to court for first directions next month may be disappointed.

While Jalco has had its share of financial woes, running up a $6.4 million loss in 2012, it can still afford a legal bill said to come in under $10,000. A company spokesman said it was paid on Thursday.

"This is small beer and Jalco just doesn't need the aggravation," he said.

Meanwhile, two bids have been lodged with Tony Ferguson administrator Adam Farnsworth, with due diligence under way.

A decision on the fate of the troubled weight-loss empire is to be made next month.

Swisse switch

Celeb-obsessed vitamins outfit Swisse may have ditched its Flemington marquee to save costs but that hasn't stopped it popping up at one of the spring racing carnival's other venues, Caulfield.

Swisse spinmeister Mitch Catlin and chief executive Radek Sali took to the David Jones tent to watch Lloyd Williams-owned gelding Fawkner win the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

The canapes must have tasted extra sweet, given that Catlin's old bosses at Myer have a big presence over at Flemington.

While Swisse has taken a year off from servicing the glitterati in Flemington's Birdcage, it will still have a presence during the Melbourne Cup carnival - out in the decidedly less glam general admission area, running a "day spa", whatever that means.

Others showing their heads at Caulfield on Saturday included Patricia Ilhan, chief postie (and Australia's highest-paid public servant) Ahmed Fahour, and Collingwood-to-Carlton footy turncoat Dale Thomas.

Police priorities

You would think they would be busy with crimes against fashion perpetrated during the racing, but the police are still concerned about goings-on during last month's AFL grand final.

In a demonstration that the boys and girls in blue are chasing down the big ones, Victoria Police's ever-vigilant media unit last week put out a release seeking help tracking down two men who they believe may be able to assist with their inquiries in relation to a most heinous crime. Murder? Arson? Jaywalking? No, "an unknown person" pouring beer into the hooded jacket of a man sitting in the crowd at last month's Hawthorn-Fremantle clash.

Meanwhile, the Great Bookie Robbery, which took place in 1976, remains technically unsolved.

Savage tweet

A senior executive at global inanity provider Twitter has suggested setting savage dogs on striking public transport workers.

Head of global operations Ben Grossman floated the idea on Twitter - of course - on Friday, asking: "What's brown and black and looks great on someone involved in causing the #bartstrike? A Doberman."

San Francisco traffic jammed up after workers at Bay Area Rapid Transit - the train system that services the city and its surrounds - went on strike last week.

Grossman seemed aware the tweet was a bad idea even as he did it, adding parenthetically: "Too angry? Looooong day in the car."

Then he deleted it altogether, although not before website Valleywag snaffled a copy.