'Punter' enjoys a bet with Kiwis

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting and Black Caps Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum put aside their sporting rivalry to enjoy a day at the races yesterday.

Ponting, whose nickname is Punter because of his love for a flutter, relaxed in the Lion Nathan enclosure at the Stella Artois Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie racecourse yesterday.

Enjoying his company were Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori and star batsman Brendon McCullum, who showed no hard feelings over Tuesday night's one-day loss to Ponting's team. Today will be a different story as they compete in the fourth one-day international at Eden Park today.

Meanwhile, the cheeks were bright pink and so were dresses as about 9000 punters donned their best suits and summer frocks for a day at the races.

Red, pink and purple were the colours of choice for women - and a surprising number of men - who were soaking up the hot sunshine at Ellerslie racecourse yesterday.

At least one man - Tauranga's Jason Rowling - was handsomely rewarded for being brave enough to don a bright "fuschia" shirt.

He and his wife Sharlene Rowling took home a year's supply of beer and a luxury stay at Huka Lodge when they won the prize for best-dressed couple - he in a Versace suit with a brightly striped shirt picked to match his wife's jacket and accessories.

Mrs Rowling said she sent her husband shopping earlier in the day and made him take her bag and shoes to make sure he got the colour right.

She said it had been a "fantastic day". However the best-dressed honour was the likely to be their only win, as the couple were not big bettors.

The pair were picked from the crowd along with two other couples by the day's official fashion critics, former Miss World New Zealand Amber Peebles and her husband Brooke Howard-Smith.

Elsewhere on the sidelines Shree Sharama and his workmates from Plus Plastics continued the colourful theme of the day by betting on Cheeky Red to win the gallops - even springing for a bet on behalf of the Herald.