Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend topped the bidding at the Kyabram Club’s Melbourne Cup Calcutta on Monday night, making the major contribution to a record pool in the club’s 60th year.
But it was the $1100 investment of the seven-member Weuss sydnicate, led by Shirley Kuhule and supported by Frank and Nola Findlay, John Ryan, Lorna McConnell, Barbara Wilson and John that picked up a record first prize — more than $28,000.
When auctioneer Brendan McConnell brought down the hammer on the last of the 23 runners — one runner, Lunar Flare, was scratched on Tuesday morning — there was $47,900 in the pool.
“This is my fourth or fifth year as the auctioneer and it still amazes me,“ Mr McConnell said.
The 2022 total was almost $10,000 more than last year’s tally, which in itself was a record for the club at the time.
Deauville Legend was bought for a record $5100, although that figure is halved when the 50 per cent drawer’s discount is applied under calcutta auction conditions.
The unfortunate owners of Lunar Flare were not as lucky. They did their $1450 cold under the no refunds policy of the calcutta.
Kyabram Club’s Melbourne Cup Calcutta is among the richest events of its type in the region, attracting syndicates from throughout the Goulburn and Campaspe regions on Cup eve.
Manager Greg Ryan said there were 200 people at the event and bidding had “smashed the record’’.
“There were a number of new syndicates, one particularly active group from Undera, while some old syndicates in Kyabram re-formed,” Mr Ryan said.
This year’s first prize was $28,740,with the runner-up pocketing $9580, third $4790 and fourth $2395.
Raging Cup favourite Deauville Legend was drawn in the calcutta by “The Flames’’, a syndicate led by Hurley Hotel’s Brenton Sheppard, Billy and Brendan Ryan, and they duly made the purchase when the McConnell First National Real Estate director put the Kerrin McEvoy mount up for auction.
The Flames paid $2550 for the UK-trained stayer. If they had of had that amount on the horse, with any betting agency, they would have only won only a portion of the calcutta first prize — if the horse had won (it ran fourth).
Second favourite Without a Fight, another of the Newmarket-trained overseas gallopers, was the second most expensive purchase on the evening at $4100. It was purchased by the Ben De Meer syndicate, Wes Shellie and Steve Thompson.
Rosehill-trained five-year-old mare Montefilia, third favourite at the time of the auction, attracted $2500 and the two starters with Kyabram connections — Danny O’Brien-trained Young Werther and 2019 winner Vow and Declare also attracted spirited bidding.
Young Werther was a 35-1 shot with bookmakers and his calcutta owners paid $1250 to have a runner in the cup.
Vow and Declare, a 26-1 shot, attracted health interest on the back of a strong Caulfield Cup showing, making $3100.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Hoo Ya Mal fetched $3350 at auction. It was the most expensive purchase on the night, after being drawn by the Wallenjoe syndicate and bought from under them by the uncomplimentary named Sewer Rats syndicate from Undera.
Realm of Flowers was bought for $2100 by the OTP syndicate.
Another of the active syndicates was the Panel Beaters, which also included Brendan Ryan, along with sporting identities Rusty McDonnell, Steve Grills and Tony Hansen.
They owned the second and third placed runners, Emissry and High Emocean.
While Brendan McConnell’s auctioneer role was important, there was hardly a word spoken when the club’s form analyst — director Mark Schumann — offered a pre-auction insight into what calcutta participants could expect on cup day.
– Kyabram Club’s connection to the Rochester community was recognised with a $3500 flood recovery appeal donation last week.
Club manager Greg Ryan maintains strong connections with Rochester, having grown up at Nanneella.
At last Friday’s weekly raffles all proceeds were in aide of the Rochester flood appeal and the club’s board matched the $1750 raised through the raffle.
"It was our way of doing something for Rochester. I am originally a Nanneella boy, so I still have a lot of connections in the town,“ Mr Ryan said.