IT will be a full house at the 20th Peter O’Sullevan Annual Award Lunch on Thursday at The Dorchester in London with the spirit of ‘The Voice of Racing’ very much in evidence.
The lunch is held in aid of the animal and racing welfare work supported by the trust which O’Sullevan established, and a key fundraiser is the auction of 10 items which will be conducted by the inimitable Nick Nugent from Goffs. The guest speaker at the lunch will be Rory Bremner.
One lot is the ultimate item of Peter O’Sullevan memorabilia – his commentary chart for the 1974 Daily Express Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham when he called home his own horse Attivo as the winner. This has been given for auction by Peter’s great friend Sean Magee.
An exquisite sterling silver cast of Frankel winning the 2000 Guineas, one of just three copies, by sculptor Charlie Langton will also create great excitement, as will the bronze of Red Rum presented to Peter by Aintree to celebrate his 50th commentary on the world famous race.
John Gosden’s portrait by Johnny Jonas will be another auction item, as will a world class trip to the Dubai World Cup in 2017, a day out for six at the Aintree Grand National on April, the original painting by Nichola Eddery (daughter of Pat) which is this year’s Trust Christmas card, two first-class tickets with hospitality to the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, a VIP visit for four, including lunch, to Coolmore and Ballydoyle, and a stylized polished bronze female figure on a domed base, a treasured item of Sir Peter’s.
Nigel Payne will accept bids in advance of the auction by email at nigel@earthsummit.demon.co.uk