By FRANCESCA MOLD
Noel Sorrenson has been queuing at the Ellerslie Racecourse tote for more than half a century without backing a winner.
Yesterday, the 63-year-old Pakuranga man's dreams of a big payout came true when he won a sparkling new silver Mercedes A-series car worth $45,000.
The competition was held at the delayed running of the Auckland Cup - the original raceday on January 1 was postponed by the Auckland Racing Club because of bad weather.
Mr Sorrenson stood and shouted with delight from the middle of the crowd in the stands when Prime Minister Helen Clark drew his name from thousands of other entries.
He rushed to the podium and grabbed the PM in a tight clinch.
A Labour voter all his life, Mr Sorrenson was shaking with emotion when he told Helen Clark that winning the car was the biggest thrill he had had since watching her win the election in November.
"I was just so rapt - completely over the moon. She just kept saying to me, 'That's so great. I'm so pleased for you'."
Mr Sorrenson led the Prime Minister over to meet his family in the crowd.
He said his 1988 Honda Accord was now on the market as he intended to keep the Mercedes.
Half century of bad race luck ends
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