A very important question: Where were Sophie and Stu during the Melbourne Cup?

Ah, the Melbourne Cup. It’s a day of overflowing champagne glasses, Band-Aid laden feet and people pretending to know how the heck to wear a fascinator to make it look fashionable.

Apparently there’s some famous four-legged animal race that goes on, too? Go figure.

It’s also a day when our favourite celebrities come out to play. And for a couple who made their relationship on television just mere weeks ago, it would have been the perfect place to flaunt their new love for all the world to see.

Except, our newest Bachelorette couple, Sophie Monk and Stu Laundy, were precisely NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.

Since saying their first ‘I love yous’ in Fiji on October 26, the couple has been plagued by rumours they are not, in fact, together at all.

“She can’t stand the sight of him!” viewers cried when watching their awkward interview on The Project.

“Of course Sophie Monk has a boyfriend…but it’s not Stu!” popular radio hosts alleged.

❤️

A post shared by Sophie Monk (@sophiemonk) on Oct 26, 2017 at 9:18pm PDT

So, when given the chance to confront the public once and for all, to pose in front of the entire nation and be feature on every ‘Best Dressed’ list in the country, to share fun Instagram stories with clever filters from behind-the-scenes… why not take it?

It’s basically a Bachie tradition – particularly for a couple’s first spring racing season since appearing on the show.

Each and every Bachelor couple that has gone public with their romance before the Melbourne Cup has appeared hand-in-hand under a marquee.

Listen: The Mamamia Out Loud team believe we have an explicit right to scrutinise Sophie and Stu’s relationship. Post continues after audio.

Richie and Alex have done it. So has Sam Wood and Snezana. And Sam Frost and Sasha. Heck, even Blake Garvey showed up with his third runner-up, Louise Pillidge, back in 2014.

The only couple who haven’t followed the tradition (besides Stu and Soph) are Georgia Love and Lee, who didn’t attend last year’s race following the death of Georgia’s mum.

And on Tuesday, a whole lot of Bachelor and Bachelorette alumni were again present.

Matty J’s Laura Byrne was there. Season one’s Anna and Tim were there. And Georgia Love and Lee.

The mane event! ???????????? #finefilly #haygurl

A post shared by Lee Elliott (@leeroyelliott) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:29pm PST

Heck, you don’t even need to still be with your reality TV sweetheart: even Sasha Mielczarek was there and he and Sam Frost broke up a million years ago.

In fact, the only famous Bach face that was more absent than Sophie Monk at the race that stops the nation was Blake Garvey… and we’re pretty sure it’s because he faked his own death and moved to Mexico because we still haven’t forgiven him for breaking Sam’s heart.

Neither Sophie or Stu posted a single social media update about the day. A day earlier, Sophie did post a video of her singing a duet with country music star Kasey Chambers.

It would have been the perfect explanation for her absence from such a big event… if the video hadn’t been a re-post from an event back in April.

She’s always had my back! @kaseychambersmusic before we went on stage.One rehearsal ❤️ I messed up ???? and she still trusted me ????

A post shared by Sophie Monk (@sophiemonk) on Nov 5, 2017 at 11:48pm PST

The only mention of the pair at the Melbourne Cup came from recent Bachelor winner Laura Byrne, who told Be that Sophie and Stu were “a great couple”.

“People should get behind them,” she added.

A well-timed Insta snap of them sipping champagne in an extravagant marquee might have gone a long way in helping Australia cheer on the couple.

Or perhaps, Sophie and Stu just had better things to do on Cup Day, and are firmly standing by the fact they really don’t owe us any explanation at all.

And hey, while they gave the big event a miss, there are still two more days of racing at Flemington Racecourse.

Mamamia has reached out to Sophie Monk for comment.

LISTEN: Mamamia Out Loud on whether the public has a right to speculate about Sophie and Stu’s relationship.