Winx and Waller support Black trust

When you follow racing all your life, you know the dangers jockeys face.

So when Paul Spiers got the chance to add to his renowned collection of racing memorabilia and support the Rebecca Black Trust, he was always going to win the bidding war.

Black, a mother of three from Riverton, was killed in a race day fall at Gore last December. The trust was set up to support her children Bassy, Caleb and Lilly.

Spiers was alerted to a Trade Me auction, offering a framed set of autographed Winx colours, by a mate and instantly knew the once in a lifetime collector’s item would be his.

The proceeds from the auction, ran by the Central Districts Trainers’ Association, went to the Rebecca Black Trust – a cause that Spiers was passionate about supporting.

‘‘It’s an absolute tragedy when someone is only 40 years old and especially with kids,’’ Spiers said.

‘‘It’s a dangerous job but they love it, that’s why they do it.’’

Spiers, a member of the Taranaki Jockey Club, said it was a privilege to support the trust and he paid credit to the way the racing industry was supporting the cause ‘‘as it should’’.

Winx, the world’s best turf horse, is trained by former Foxton trainer Chris Waller at his Rosehill base in Sydney.

It was Waller who donated the silks signed by himself and Winx’s jockey Hugh Bowman.

The fact he was thinking of Black’s family back in New Zealand spoke volumes of his character, according to Spiers.

With 17 straight wins and more than more than $12 million won in stakes, Winx is one of the most popular horses Australia has ever seen.

Spiers’ collection of racing and sports memorabilia is so vast he stores it under beds and in wardrobes but the framed Winx colours will never be hidden away.

He said it was important not to lose sight of what jockeys put on the line, highlighting a horror day for Australian jockeys earlier this month as the prime example.

New South Wales jockey Darren Jones was killed in a fall on April 8. Two other jockeys were seriously injured in the incident that claimed Jones’ life and on the same day two jockeys in Queensland were involved in a trackwork fall with neither expected to walk again.

‘‘We all take things too much for granted sometimes, we forget what we’ve got until it gets taken away from us,’’ Spiers said.

He was surprised at the $6200 purchase price and revealed he was prepared to go higher to secure the unique piece of memorabilia.

Unsure exactly where the Winx colours will be displayed at his home, Spiers was sure they will be proudly shown off and could even spend some time on display at Pukekura Raceway.

Spiers has memorabilia from some of New Zealand’s best horses such as Zabeel and Rough Habit plus other items signed by Sir Patrick Hogan.