St. Paddy Thrived On Dope

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30168, 27 June 1963, Page 4

St. Paddy Thrived On Dope

IN.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Cony right) BRIGHTON, June 25. A court at Brighton was told today that dope given to make the champion British racehorse, St. Paddy, lose a race in 1959 must have been “a goer, not a stopper” for he tyon by 20 lengths.

A stableman, whose name was withheld, was giving evidence on the second day of the horse-doping conspiracy trial Six men are before the court alleged to be ringleaders in the case They are: William John Roper, aged 57. a clerk, Edward Charles Dyer, aged 38. a bookmakar Joseph Lowry, aged 49, a salesman. Charles Edward Mitchell, aged 34. a dealer Alexander Henrv Field, aged 38, and Brian Albert Perry aged 23. a salesman. The conspiracy is claimed to have been spread over nine years The prosecution

has described it as one of the blackest chapters in the history of the British turf. Dope Given Referring to St. Paddy, the stableman said he remembered that the dope on the occasion was in powdered form Previously it had been tablets “Snuffy" (another stableman) telephoned him and said he had had a hard job, but was sure St Paddy had the ball (of dope) He had passed the message on to “Joe" (who named the horses to be doped) He (witness) had then watched the race on television and St Paddy had won by about 20 lengths Mr Owen Stable, prosecuting - What was your reaction?

Witness: My reaction was the powder must have been a goer and not a stopper. Asked by Mr Stable if he w’as pleased St Paddv had won. the witness said he was not. He had received a telenhone message from “Joe” •shortly afterwards Mr Stable: What sort of mood did you And him in?— About the same as I was in He said something to the effect that "It can’t have had the ball"

The witness said that no one had been paid at that time

Earlier the witness said he had been a stableman for 2P rears He had had a number of employments at Newmarket. a well-known trainine centre He had me’ “Joe” on the racecourse at Newmarket at the end of 1957 He saw “Joe" on odd occasions the following season and sometimes eave him tips which we-«> often beaten. The witness «rd the first occasion on which he doped a horse was at a meeting at Ya~mouth The trainer of the horse was Mrs Noel Murless and the horse was Open Sky Lester Pigeon <a former '•hampion Jockey), was to have ridden Open Skv. btr he was not sure if he actually did “Snuffy" was to do th# dnning. He had given “Snuffv” some tablets which were to have been used on another

horse called Providence Open Sky did not win and he received about £4O or £5O. He had shared the money with "Snuffy” and another man named Jim After the doping of Open Sky, the witness, said he had received Instructions on six or seven other occasions from “Joe.” The witness said there had been a change of plan in 1960 from 1959 "In 1960 they would do the animals they wanted done themselves, but they wanted the (horse) box in the yard pointed out to them.”

The unidentified witness was still giving evidence when the Court adjourned until tomorrow.