FIVE MEN ARRESTED ON DOPING CHARGES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 4

FIVE MEN ARRESTED ON DOPING CHARGES

(N.Z. Frees

LONDON. July 5. Scotland Yard investigations into allegations of racehorse doping in Britain reached a climax today with the arrest of five men. Investigations by the Yard’s flying squad officers had been going on for three months. One of the arrested men was a jockey to Sir Gordon Richards, a leading trainer who was once Britain’s top jockey. Another was a chemist’s dispenser. The five were charged with conspiring to administer drugs to horses. The inquiry began after a complaint had been lodged by Sir Gordon Richards. A few day later, on April 20, a former head stable boy, Bertie (“Bandy”) Rogers, was found shot dead in a thatched cottage where he lived in Berkshire. A verdict that he killed himself was recorded at the inquest Rogers, aged 66, had been one of the best-known head stable lads in the south of England. He had earlier made a statement to the police. Powders Removed After his death, police investigators removed some powders and other substances from his cottage. Sir Gordon Richards was frequently visited during the inquiries, which took detectives to racing centres throughout Britain. The five men were charged after a day of comings and goings at the back street police station in the racecourse town of Newbury, Berkshire. From early morning men had been seen arriving at the police station in cars accomoanied by plain clothes police officers. Two men lay on the floor of

police cars and were driven off again. As other men arrived, raincoats or rugs were put over their heads for the short walk from the car to the police station door.

The five men charged were allowed bail and will appear before the Newbury Magistrates on August 8. One of the men, Bert Hamlen Woodage, was unplaced on Bosphorous, trained by Sir Gordon Richards, in a race at Salisbury this afternoon. Another of Sir Gordon Richards’s horses, Urimus. won. Arrest After Race Woodage was arrested just after his race at Salisbury, a newspaper said. He weighed out, changed out of his jockey silks, and camr into the paddock carrying hit whip. Two plain-clothes men strolled, up to him, engaged him in conversation, then quietly read ou‘ a warrant. Sir Gordon Richards ignorer the incident, but jockey club stewards and coufse official! watched. All three men walked to a waiting car, which was driver to Newbury Police Station, 3f miles away, where Woodage wacharged. The day’s events began with a midnight conference at Scotland Yard, when a team of 10 was briefed. Then they set out ir three cars armed with five warrants. They covered in all more than 1000 miles to bring the men back to Newbury to be charged. At times the detectives travelled at more than 100 miles an hour to keep up with a time-table that had been set *