Racing: Star mare's colours attract $34,500 bid

Australian trainer Bevan Laming thought last Friday he might go to $5000 for the set of Black Caviar racing colours auctioned at Sunday night's Racing For Christchurch gala dinner.

The former New Zealander was "not disappointed" to discover in his absence he had paid $34,500.

Laming, bidding through Auckland Racing Club chairman Russell Warwick at the Ellerslie dinner, fought off the opposition, which included Sir Patrick Hogan.

The colours, worn by Black Caviar in her dramatic Newmarket Handicap victory at Flemington, were signed by trainer Peter Moody and regular rider Luke Nolen.

They were arranged by Cambridge bloodstock agent John White, a mate of Laming.

"Bevan rang me the other day just as I was delivering the display to Russell Warwick at Westbury Stud and said he had seen the auction on the internet and was keen to get them.

"He said he would go to $5000, perhaps a bit more.

"I said I thought they'd make between $5000 and $10,000."

Sir Patrick was the underbidder. However, the Cambridge Stud owner was very much to the fore as a donor when a service to his supersire Zabeel was knocked down to Dato Yap Kim San for $122,000, which was the night's top lot.

When the gala charity dinner was proposed soon after the earthquake by the Auckland Racing Club and in particular its chief executive Chris Weaver, a million-dollar donation was top of the wishlist, perhaps a little bit pie in the sky.

The rallying behind the cause in racing circles has been such that indications are the million dollars will be reached.

"We still have what is effectively a silent auction on 13 further stallions which will close on Wednesday afternoon," said Weaver yesterday.

"The live auction brought in $524,000 and when everything is tallied up that should come to a little more than $700,000.

"With what we raised and did at the Cup meeting in March the million dollars is a real possibility. We should know by Thursday."

The cheque to Christchurch will be presented at the Telethon on May 22.

"It is a big thing for the industry to have raised so much money," says a proud Weaver. "It will prove a point and help offset any negative impressions against racing out there."

Sunday night's dinner was a great success all round said Weaver.

Stallion prices: Zabeel fetched $122,000, Exceed & Excel, $76,000; Starcraft, $60,000; Pentire, $34,000; Rip Van Winkle, $32,000; Mastercraftsman, $24,000; Thorn Park, $21,000; Darci Brahma, $20,000; Iffraaj, $24,000; Keeper, $24,000; Alamosa, $10,000; Librettist, $10,000; Road To Rock, $12,000; Perfectly Ready, $13,000; and Bachelor Duke, $12,000.