Laming gets perfect farewell at Gold Coast

By Jordan Gerrans

Group 1-winning trainer Bevan Laming was given the perfect send-off into retirement earlier this month when progressive galloper Pac Fair won the race named in his honour at the Gold Coast.

At 84 years of age, Bevan has battled with his health in recent times, including suffering a stroke, and has made the official call to hand in his training licence.

The Gold Coast-based veteran has trained alongside his son Richard in recent times, with the pair having bases in Queensland and Victoria.

Pac Fair is racing under the training banner of Richard and the three-year-old was a stylish winner of the Congratulations Bevan Laming QTIS Three-Years-Old Maiden Handicap over 1400 metres.

Richard and Bevan were both on hand to celebrate the victory at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast earlier this month, which was a fitting send-off for the well-known trainer.

“It just worked out really well,” Richard said.

“Honestly, the club told me a month beforehand they were going to name the race after Dad as he was retired.

“So, I didn't know I had a runner in it until Thursday, until the fields come out.

“Then once I did notice that, I thought straight away that he'd be hard to beat. He's a horse that's always shown me a fair bit of ability and he's a progressive type.

“Once I went through the field, I was pretty confident and it worked out well.

“He was very strong through the line and won convincingly.”

Race caller Jarrod Wessel was in the broadcast booth at the Gold Coast on the afternoon that Pac Fair scored and he was impressed by the performance.

“Pac Fair lengthened like a good horse late,” Wessel said.

“That was a nice win, that. He really surged that last 150 metres to pull clear and win well.”

Pac Fair is a well-named galloper as he is a son of former race mare Shopping Paradise, who won once in nine attempts for the Edmonds stable.

Pac Fair was nominated for Wednesday's Eagle Farm meeting, but the stable opted not to accept.

He will instead be saved for a Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1500 metres next Saturday.

“He trialled up well,” Richard said.

“The 1400 metres first-up was ideal and he's going to be a horse that gets a mile or more.

“He'll be a city-class horse, for sure. There is a race there that I've got my eye on. He'll tick over and go to that.”

The history of Queensland racing is littered with Group 1 victories prepared by the Lamings throughout the decades.

Prized races such as the Stradbroke Handicap, Brisbane Cup and Glasshouse Handicap, among others, have been claimed by the family.

At times, it was father Bevan listed as the trainer, on other occasions it was son Richard and they have also trained as a partnership, as well.

The Laming family won the 1995 and 1997 Brisbane Cups with Desert Chill when it was a Group 1 race over 3200 metres and the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with St Basil in 2005.

Bevan was also in a joint training partnership with his son when Crossthestart won the 2010 Brisbane Cup.

Richard also won the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast in 2018 with Jamaican Rain, who went on to win twice at Group 3 level in Victoria the following year.

Richard said his father’s retirement had been coming for a while.

“His health's not the best, so there was a time where he had his hand forced a little bit,” he said.

“He had a stroke a few months back and it really put him behind the eight ball a little bit.

“So, obviously I was doing most of the work anyway and doing the worksheets and helping him with that.

“But, the time had come and then his hand was forced.

“Not a lot has changed behind the scenes. Everything has stayed the same. The only difference is the name of the race book.

“But, he’s been a trainer for a long time and he trained for as long as he could and now, he owns a lot of them. So, he's still getting enjoyment from that side of it.”

Despite retiring from training, Bevan is still likely to be a fixture at the track on the Gold Coast.

“He lives in his house and he's lived there for a long time near the racecourse,” his son said.

“He can come again, he's been the last two Saturdays, so he'll come again.

“He owns a half-share in a horse called Murkado, who ran third on Saturday there at the Gold Coast and he came over for an hour and had a look at that.

“So, he can still come to the races when he needs to.

“He's getting on now. They slow down a lot when they get old and he's had a big career, so he's done a good job.”

As Richard is back and forth between Melbourne with the stable’s two bases, talented Queensland horseman Ben Hull runs the GC operation when he is out of town.

“He does a good job,” Richard said of Hull.

“He's a hard worker and he has a couple in his own name, but he looks after the operation well.”

The Laming stable has three runners nominated for Saturday’s races at the GC.