While all parties were congratulating themselves on an Amounis win, there was still a Melbourne Cup to run and Phar Lap still needed to win. Seeing Amounis win the Caulfield Cup after having scratched Phar Lap so late may have financially enriched Harry Telford, but equally, it now filled him with dread. In recent times it may be the coverage afforded to Makybe Diva in the lead up to her third consecutive Melbourne Cup, Black Caviar’s 25th straight victory or the mighty Winx about to break Black Caviar’s run of consecutive wins or even more her snaffling an amazing fourth Cox Plate. They are feats that transcend racing and capture a public who usually could not care about the sport. A public that may know nothing about racing but are still fascinated by Winx. And then there was the coverage received by Phar Lap. It was extraordinary. A blanket coverage throughout Australasia and all the time it was being reported in ever increasing numbers, like some strange journalistic bidding war, of how much of a slaughter the bookmakers throughout the land were facing if Phar Lap should win. Therefore it was almost inevitable what was to happen next.
Trainers and owners have always tried to place some security around their prized horses. In 1890 when Carbine was at his peak, Hall of Fame trainer Walter Hickenbotham protected his prized horse by having a trick panel put into his stall at Mersey Lodge. At night, Hickenbotham would have Carbine secretly moved to the other side of the sliding wall and another lookalike horse put in as a dummy for the champion to keep him safe. Hickenbotham was a trainer, like Lou Robertson and Harry Telford, devoted to his horses. There is a well-known story that instead of celebrating Carbine winning the 1890 Melbourne Cup, Walter Hickenbotham was found in the stables tending to Carbine’s injured hoof.
One of the most famous and most frightening incidents regarding security for a horse, or lack of, was when the IRA kidnapped the Aga Khan’s prized stallion, Shergar from Ballymany Stud, County Kildare, Ireland in 1983. Named European Horse of the Year 1981, won the Epsom Derby by a record ten lengths and was preparing for its second full season at stud when taken. After the £2,000,000 ransom demands fell through, it is believed the horse was then brutally machine gunned to death. The remains of this brilliant horse, coming down the line of Phalaris-Fairway-Honeyway, have never been recovered.*
*If there is any upside to this horrible tragedy was that the incident assisted strangely in the unification of Ireland and helped talks between the north and south. This was mainly due to the IRA managing to appall most people in Ireland by this senseless act of violence. They could not have got a worse reaction from the Catholic Irish had the IRA kidnapped and machine gunned the Pope. The horse crazy Irish wept at the thought of such a thing happening to any horse, much less one as brilliant as Shergar. Many Irish in the south were very quick to disassociate themselves from what the IRA had done and ultimately assisted with opening up talks.
It is history that Phar Lap was shot at before the Melbourne Cup, allegedly by gangsters on behalf of panicky bookmakers.* Some believe it to be a hoax. The attempt on Phar Lap sold papers and ensured those who could afford to make it to Flemington would be there in one of the most sensational build ups of any Cup. While many believe this famous episode to be almost a stunt, it highlights the devotion and courage of Tommy Woodcock. If somebody sticks a shotgun out the window of a Studebaker to fire point blank, unless it is being fired by Mr. Magoo, somebody or something usually ends up dead. If it really were genuine, those involved appear to have been selected from the shallow end of the gene pool. For they could not have made more of a dog’s breakfast of their attempt had they been trying out for a part in a slapstick comedy. The truth of the matter will never be fully known for supposed shotgun pellets were wedged in the palings of the fence for years after. Just that the police had a little trouble finding any evidence of it. However, hoax, stunt or a genuine bungled attempt to kill or maim Phar Lap, Woodcock was not to know. Apart from increased sales of the Argus and The Herald, the only real winner out of all this was Tommy Woodcock. He may have wanted a change of pants afterward but it did show him as a very courageous hero protecting his beloved “Bobby”.
What was true, in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup, Telford was receiving constant threats on Phar Lap. From breaking the thoroughbred’s legs to blinding him in an acid attack, Harry Telford knew that any of these threats could come true at any moment. None of which he shared with anyone else. Every time the postman arrived, there were more letters. Most were stuffed into an office drawer until it no longer closed. It is one thing to have a good horse, another entirely to have one that is so good it can shut down the betting ring. Or produce such a crippling double. Along with the threats came the bribes to Telford, Woodcock, Pike and Davis to nobble, scratch, or to simply not win. And they were substantial. Tommy Woodcock later admitted he was offered £4,000 to “fix” the horse.* Telford confided he had been approached for £10,000.** And Jim Pike, £12,000 to ride a shocker. How much more shocking he could be than Bobby Lewis’ ride the previous year and still not give the appearance of being on the take, would have required all of Pike’s riding skill.
* The Mercury 28 October 1936, page 13
** The Advertiser 24 November 1936, page 16
Whether or not the gunshot did the trick of keeping Phar Lap safe until the Cup the debatable. The stable suddenly switched over to DEFCON 5 in removing Phar Lap covertly from Caulfield. They left one of Telford’s other horses, Old Ming as a stand-in double just in case the gangsters remembered to put real bullets in their gun next time. Phar Lap was whisked away in secret to Guy Raymond’s famous St Albans Stud, on the banks of the Barwon River, near Geelong. This farm has a rich racing history and is associated with a cavalcade of champions.* By the time Phar Lap was safely ensconced down at the Bellarine Peninsula, St. Albans was being resurrected by Raymond. One of the greatest studs in Australian racing, it had been founded in 1873 by James Wilson, breeder and trainer of Melbourne Cup winners Don Juan (1873) and Briesis (1876).** Nearly gored to death by a bull Wilson was forced to pass the running of the farm over to his son James Junior in 1886. Shortly thereafter St. Albans sold to Sol Green’s outstanding manager and studmaster of Shipley Stud, South Australian John Crozier.*** He only had it for four years when Crosier sold for £70,000, and a stupendous profit, to fellow South Australian hotelier William Wilson who became one of BHP’s first directors. Affectionately known as “The Silver King” Wilson (no relation to James Wilson) started producing an incredible number of winners.
*A small offering of horses that have either been bred, bought or did stud duty at St. Albans. These do not include horses owned by Guy Raymond. First King - 1878 Australian Cup and Vic St. Leger, Petrea - 1879 Oaks, 1880 Australian & Sydney Cups, Richmond - 1876 Australian Cup & Vic St. Leger, Savanaka - 1879 Australian & Sydney Cup, King of the Ring - 1872 Queen’s Plate, La Tosca - 1892 AJC Plate & St. Leger, Progress - 1881 Australian & Sydney Cups, Aurum – 1898 VRC St. Leger, Bobadil, - 1899 VRC Australian Cup & VATC Futurity, Newhaven – 1896 Melbourne Cup & Victoria Derby, Revenue – 1901 Melbourne Cup, Robinson Crusoe – 1876 AJC Derby, Emir – 1905 AJC Plate, Abundance – 1902 AJC & Victoria Derby, Maltster – 1900 AJC & Victoria Derby, La Carabine – 1900 Australian & Sydney Cup, Bill of Portland – One of Australia’s most important sires, Carnage – 1893 Victoria Derby, Merriwee – 1899 Victoria Derby & Melbourne Cup, Merman – 1896 Williamstown & 1900 Ascot Gold Cup, Finland – 1901 VRC St. Leger and Trenton (brother of Carbine and twice champion sire in Australia) & Wallace (son of Carbine) two of Australia’s great sires.
** Hutchinson, Garrie (Editor) “”They’re Racing! – The Complete Book of Australian Racing” page 66
*** Clonard, Derby “Victorian Turf Cavalcade 1936 – 1936” page 56
Due to his mining interests and finances at one stage looking a little wobbly, Wilson landed on the idea to sell St. Albans by lottery. He then changed his mind, frantically buying as many of the lottery tickets as he could lay his hands on only to find none them were the winning ticket. That was now being held by a Seymour syndicate which included The Nook’s Alexander Creswick, one of the wealthiest pastoralists in Australia. Wilson did manage to secure the winning tickets for champion sire Bill of Portland and Williamstown Cup and Ascot Gold Cup winner Merman. Wilson then negotiated back from Creswick possibly the best sire Alexander Creswick was ever going to own in his life, with the possible exception of Manitoba, Carbine’s last son, Wallace. Although William Wilson forked out a hefty £2,500 for Wallace, a horse he had bred, as it transpired it was still the equivalent of swapping a dollar for gold bullion. Wallace is up there with the greatest sires of all time having produced winners of nearly 1,000 races and over £246,000 in stakes. Wallace’s blood, even today, is soaked through Australian bred winners. After William Wilson died in 1900 at St. Kilda, the farm was sold back to the son of the original owner, James Wilson Jr. Wilson, in turn, sold St. Albans to a dairy farmer who in turn sold it, at least outwardly, to bloodstock specialist Captain Guy Raymond and his Queensland pastoralist partner Hugh Ranken in 1926 who slowly converted stud back to its former equine glory.*** However, neither man actually owned St. Albans.
* Hutchinson, Garrie (Editor) “”They’re Racing! – The Complete Book of Australian Racing” page 66
** Wallace sired two Melbourne Cup winners 1914 Kingsburgh & 1915 Patrobas, six VRC Derby winner 1903 FJA, 1905 Lady Wallace, 1907 Mountain King, 1911 Wilari, 1912 Wolawa & 1915 Patrobas, six VRC St. Leger 1904 Scottish King, 1906 Lady Wallace, 1908 Mountain King, 1911 Wilari, 1913 Wolawa & 1916 Patrobas, four AJC St. Leger 1904 Emir, 1906 Lady Wallace, 1908 Mountain King & 1913 Wolawa, six VRC Oaks 1901 Beanba,1904 Red Streak, 1905 Lady Wallace, 1911 Wilari, 1912 Moe & 1915 Rosanna and a raft of group one winners around the country including Australian Cup in 1904 Scottish King, 1914 Wallolo & 1920 Macadam, Sydney Cup 1909 Trafalgar and the Newmarket Handicap in 1903 Chantress, 1908 Scotland, 1911 Queen of Scots & 1916 Amata.
Ibid & http://www.pedigreequery.com/wallace
*** The Examiner 6 July 1945, page 6
Both Guy Raymond and Hugh Ranken were related by marriage to Springfield pastoralist William Pitt Faithful, who was the son of soldier and settler, William Faithfull. Raymond married Gwyneth Deane Faithfull[24], daughter of Dr. Robert Lionel Faithfull, fourth son of William Pitt Faithful and Mary Deane. Lionel Faithfull held the £24,000 mortgage on St. Albans.[25] Raymond helped establish, in partnership with Sir Hugh Denison, Sledmere Stud near Scone in 1920.[26] The main sires imported by Raymond were Quantock and the more successful Treclare[27] and Great Star[28]. When the partnership dissolved in February 1926, owners and stud masters from all over Australia and New Zealand trekked out to the Hunter Valley for Sledmere’s dispersal sale. Many left in a filthy mood having been out bid for the prized stallions by both Denison (Treclare) and Raymond (Great Star).[29] Guy Raymond was to return to England after Sledmere to be the main bloodstock agent and £1,200 a year manager for shipping magnate William Tatem’s (Lord Glanely) famous Exning Stud at Newmarket.[30] Even at this dispersal, most of the press were under the impression Great Star was half way on the boat back to the mother country with Raymond headed for a stint managing Glanely’s stud. Instead he headed down to Victoria as Guy Raymond’s aged in-laws would have been a constant worry to his wife had they decided to reside so far away in England. The good Doctor Faithfull bought his son-in-law his own stud farm.
St. Albans, was therefore purchased through Raymond’s spouse Gwyneth so Faithful could keep his daughter in Australia. Paraphrasing “The Godfather” – it was an offer Guy Raymond couldn’t refuse. On Lionel Faithfull’s death in 1930, the will, through Perpetual Trustees, for which Faithful so happened to be a director, extended the St. Albans’ mortgage a further 15 years to Gwyneth thus securing Raymond’s tenure at this historic stud.[31] Not only was this a good deal for the Faithful family, it proved a good thing for Australian racing and thoroughbred breeding.
Just before the running of the Melbourne Cup, Eric Connolly had been kind enough to share his thoughts with the “Sporting Globe” readership as to whom he thought would be a good tip for the punters that year.
“CUP TIP – Mr. E. Connolly selected Tregilla as a probable Melbourne Cup winner after he had seen the colt beaten by Balloon King in the Rosehill Guineas. Mr. Connolly’s judgement was endorsed to a great extent when Trigilla showed stamina by winning the AJC Derby.”
It is illuminating to note just how Eric Connolly portrayed himself when he tried explaining away a misunderstanding to the VRC stipendiary stewards. In November 1921, Rob Inkson, was riding Coronatus in the November Hurdle Race. Inkson claimed Connolly was trying to place a bet for him without his consent. Connolly offered to put £10 on for Inkson which would have paid handsomely; Coronatus unfortunately came second. When asked by the stewards, if he wanted to give evidence, Connolly replied with a ten minute monologue on why he was a good world citizen, good for racing and keen to clear up this pesky misunderstanding about Robin Inkson thinking he was somehow being bribed by Australia’s most notorious punter. Throughout his career, Connolly displayed a consistent attitude towards his own abilities. Never one for false modesty, Eric Connolly’s view of himself was nothing short of glorious.
“I am a good law abiding citizen. There is nobody in Australia or in the World that has anything against me, nor any idea that I would do or lend myself to do anything wrong. Unfortunately, I think this matter has been misconstrued... I am a well-wisher for the best interest of racing and had no motive or intention of wrong doing... The suspicion of doing anything wrong never entered my mind, in fact I never gave such a thing a thought. I thought it was a kind of pleasure to tell the boy I was putting £10 on for him in consequence of the horse winning at Caulfield... You never see me running after jockeys... I never go behind fences or places to discuss things with anybody. I would not give anyone the opportunity of ridiculing the stipendiary stewards in any way. I have been successful at racing and would have been successful in any walk of life. Successful people are always criticised. If I ran a goat in the Melbourne Cup it would be favourite! I have never told lies and I am not going to try and screen myself by telling lies now.”[10]
The stewards took what Connolly said on board, thought about it for about one and a half nanoseconds then gave their verdict.
“Connolly the stewards find you guilty of the charge preferred against you... Understand that you are perilously close to disqualification and if a similar case is brought before us again, no matter what it is, and it is proved, we will certainly inflict disqualification.” [11]
The Robertson brothers were well acquainted with Guy Raymond. Andrew Robertson first had dealings with Guy Raymond when he was in England looking over prospective horses at Eaton Stud. One of Great Star’s first batch at St. Albans included the colt, Happy Warrior which Raymond sent to Lou Robertson to be trained. Later he would send Robertson both his Enfield sired horses, Aiming High and Chosen. Through Andrew and Lou Robertson’s long standing relationship with Guy Raymond, Telford was introduced to him in 1929. St. Albans has an even stronger connection. Like Telford who was a jockey turned trainer working for a while out of Manawatu, so too was his close friend Ron Cameron. John Crozier was son of South Australia pioneer pastoralist and politician John Crozier whose land near the Victorian border neighboured with Ben Chaffey’s land up near Mildura. Ben Chaffey became an in-law to the Crozier clan as did Ron Cameron. While John Crozier owned St. Albans for a time, his brothers had studs of their own. One of his brothers, Arthur Crosier had a multitude of sons and two daughters; Marjorie Crozier married Ron Cameron.
Guy Raymond imported two other very important sires into Australia – the Gay Crusader sired Gay Lothario and the grandson of Son-in-Law and Phalaris, Enfield. Guy Raymond bred the wonderful Gay Lothario sired mare Tranquil Star at St. Albans. Twice winner of the Cox Plate (1942 & 1944) and a Caulfield Cup (1942), the Hall of Famer was trained by Ron Cameron. The jockey of 1911 Melbourne Cup winner The Parisian turned trainer, openly acknowledges the riding assistance he received back in New Zealand from Telford when both men resided in Manawatu. Raymond bred 1944 Melbourne Cup winner Sirius, sired by Enfield with Great Star as his grand dam sire. He enjoyed winning his own Melbourne Cup in 1948 when Enfield sired Rimfire scaped home by the narrowest of margins over Jack Thompson ridden Dark Marne, thanks to the of the first ever Melbourne Cup photo finish going his way. Thompson swore and declared to the day he died that the decision was wrong. The young apprenticed jockey on Rimfire, Ray Neville belonged to Lou Robertson’s stable. Rimfire’s Mordialloc based trainer Stan Boyden worked with both Telford and Robertson and was close friends of both men. As far as Telford was concerned when the shooting incident occurred, Robertson, Boyden, Cameron, Ben Chaffey as well as Raymond himself all would have been quick to suggest St. Albans as a safe hideaway. It was certainly a smart and safer place to send Phar Lap away from his Caulfield stables just in case someone wanted to come back for a more accurate shot.
[1] NZ Truth 23 October 1930, Page 13
http://thehorsesoftheyearspart2.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/amounis.html
[10] VRC enquiry in to Eric Connolly bribing jockey Inkson, 1921
[11] Ibid
[16] The United States' DEFCON (short for "defence readiness condition") scale is a measure of the level of alertness of the nation's defence forces. The DEFCON scale uses a minimum of 5 (for normal peacetime status) and a maximum of 1 (for situations of global severity, like nuclear war)
[20] Hutchinson, Garrie (Editor) “”They’re Racing! – The Complete Book of Australian Racing” page 66
[21] Hutchinson, Garrie (Editor) “”They’re Racing! – The Complete Book of Australian Racing” page 66
[23] The Examiner 6 July 1945, page 6
[24] Lionel’s mother was Mary Deane
[25] The Scrutineer and Berrima District Press, 11 June 1930, page 2
[26] Sledmere is named after Sir Tatton Sykes famous Yorkshire family residence and stud – The Australasian 24 August 1921, page 35
[27] Treclare is sire of Journal (1934 Caulfield Cup), Johnnie Jason (1931 Victorian Derby & 1932 Sydney Cup), Broad Arrow (1934 Sydney Cup), Tregilla (1930 AJC Derby) along with many other winners including Wise Boy, Tingalba and Fashion Star.
[28] Great Star is sire of Doncaster (1937 Adelaide Cup) and Ortelles Star (1938 Moonee Valley Cup)
[29] Sydney Sportsman 16 February 1926, page 4
[30] The Sun, 13 September 1934, page 25. In 1930 Lord Glanely won the Epsom Oaks with Rose of England and the St. Leger with Singapore.
[31] The Age 14 February 1934, page 5
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