Melbourne Cup auction to bring in racing fanatics

In the midst of this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, Mossgreen is holding its Melbourne Cup Auction, which, while it offers other sporting items, concentrates largely on horse racing memorabilia.

Given she remained unbeaten in all of her 23 starts, it is probably fitting that a painting of Black Caviar by Brett Jarrett is included among the auction items.

The auction will begin at 10am on Friday November 7 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

It includes a huge range of memorabilia. Of particular note is the 1928 Brisbane Cup won by Canning Queen, which at the time established a new Australian record of 3.22 minutes for the two-mile race.

Another interesting item is a signed charcoal drawing of Phar Lap by British painter James Lynwood Palmer (1866-1941).

Phar Lap is regarded as the greatest Australian racehorse of all time – winning all of the major Australian classics including the 1930 Melbourne Cup and capturing the public’s imagination during the Great Depression years.

Following a mysterious illness after winning the Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana in 1932, Phar Lap died. At the time, he was the world’s highest stake winner. 

A pair of cast iron hitching posts complete with brass plaque with the words “Presented to J.O. Inglis – Malua – Melbourne Cup, 1884” also is part of the auction.

The posts were presented each year from 1875 to 1910 by the Ballarat Brewing Company to the owners of the winning Melbourne Cup horse.

Malua was the most versatile Australian thoroughbred racehorse in history, winning over distances from five and a half furlongs to three and a quarter miles (1100 metres – 5200 metres).