Australian Sensation.... Gagoola-Simba Case

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 205, 13 August 1932, Page 7 (Supplement)

Australian Sensation.... Gagoola-Simba Case

Deep Plot Against the Turf

Complete History of Simba-Investigation Concluded

It must be satisfactory to all who have the welfare of the Turf at heart to know that the Gagoola-Simba case has come to a conclusion that enables officials of the V.R.C. to at last punish the offenders. It looked as if officials had been completely hoodwinked, and it was a bad outlook for the Turf that a ringtail could be brought to Flemington, the very headquarters of racing, and made the medium of a barefaced ramp and a huge betting plunge, and escape scot-free.’ The announcement that Gagoola had been identified as Simba, and the disqualification of his owner, marks the satisfactory unravelling of a deep plot against the Turf, and is favourably received as an achievement that will restore confidence in the authorities who govern the King of Sports. Below is a complete resume of the history of Simba since his purchase for Australia, in May, 1931, his transformation through various identities, including that of Gagoola, right up to the moment when officials definitely proved his dual representation last week, writes D. J. Graves in the Sydney “Referee.”

The last of a series of good performances embracing three wins, achieved by Simba was his second to Tenterden in a weight-for-age six furlongs event, the Hawke’s Bay Stakes on April 14. It was after that effort that J. T. Jamieson, now in Sydney, as trainer to Ammon Ra and a host of other horses, made advances for his purchase. He secured the horse at 1500 guineas, shipped him to Sydney, consigned to a J. Smith, whom he recognised as trainer to G. Guest, his purchaser, and that ended his connection with the horse.

Simba arrived by the steamer Ulimaroa at Darling Harbour, Sydney, on May 5, was taken delivery of by W. Calnan, float proprietor, who went through the usual formalities with the customs and shipping officers and then leading him off the wharf, delivered him outside to a “man named Smith.” Joe Smith, pony trainer of Le Choucas and Wild Time, denied that he was the receiver. * Simba Vanishes Officially that was the last known of Simba. He seems to have vanished then into thin air. A matter connected with the customs formalities of his arrival led subsequently to police court trouble, though at this stage nothing was known to excite suspicion. He was entered in official papers as a gelding worth £l5O. As a result Wm. Calnan, float proprietor of Arthur Street, Bandwick, and Geo. Guest, of 2 Rickard Avenue, Bondi, were charged by the Collector Customs with having made a false entry through an agent with intent to defraud the revenue of the Customs Department.

Primage duty at a set percentage on value or price is require to be paid on the importation of any horse into Australia, and it was alleged that in under-stating the value of the horse, connections had set out to evade payment of the full sum due on Simba. The outcome was that Calnan was fined £lOO and Guest £25.

Simba was a brown colt, but a fewweeks afterwards a chestnut, a good cut of a horse, appeared at Canterbury to work on the tracks, under the name of Royal Scot. At least that was the name given by the man who looked after him.

Shortly after that a float proprietor (not W. Calnan) received a message to pick up a mare at Canterbury, and then to call at a place near Calmsley Hill near Liverpool, for a horse. The mare was Stately, and the horse who had been led out on to the main road proved to be Royal Scot. The pair went on to Canterbury where they were tried together in a gallop, and Royal Scot beat the head off Stately. The form was excellent for Stately had just won two good races. The Next Step. The next step was the appearance of this alleged Royal Scot at Flemington, but here again a new name was introduced. He was announced as Invicta, and the touts didn’t worry much about this chestnut, for they saw on scanning entries for all meetings in and round Melbourne, that he wasn’t nominated for races. Nor did ho do anything to draw their attention. Pace work seemed to be his only share of the proceedings every morning.

But some of tho shrewdies realised on June 8 when there was a meeting at Flemington that this Invicta was really Gagoola, who was entered for the Rothsay Trial Stakes, and found that they had been deceived over the identity of the animal. Still, no law had been broken in putting the touts off the scent.

Gagoola was Invicta all right. Ami ho was Royal Scot, too. But when people were seen to be investing thousands of pounds in cash on -him in the Trial Stakes, they wanted to know more. This huge plunge was naturally taken up by so many others who blindly follow the money on Victorian courses, and with the stable money and public money flowing in like a cataract dam, Gagoola quickly came from the 33’s secured early to 7 to 4 favouritism. At that price ho staned for the race. The books had stopped betting ten minutes before»time. They could lay nothing but Gagoola, and most of them having set their full books against that horse, there was nothing more to do. So they left their stands.

It was one of the most remarkable happenings ever witnessed in Flemington’s famous ring to see the books stopped on a 7 to 4 favourite in a field of 17 To say it aroused the suspicions of some is almost unnecessary. Inquiries show- | ed that Gagoola had never raced before. He was given as a chestnut colt by Yetman from Dismay, reputed to be bred by Mr Forrester, of Moree, who had the sire and also a mare of that name. The Fancy Beaten. The schemers were counting their gains when Gagoola, striding out like a proved and experienced racehorse, rather than a colt having his first race, swung round the turn to gain the lead. He was still a winner half-way down the straight. But then he began to tire and weaken, and Stephanite, an imported filly, swept down on him in the last 100 yards to easily defeat him. So quickly had he tired that he was finally beaten by three lengths, and returning to scale, he was in marked distress like a horse only half fitted for the race he had contested.

Obviously he hadn’t been galloped sufficiently on the tracks in the last week or so prior to tho race. Apparently connections had feared to extend him sufficiently to keep him fit. They feared the touts might catch his work and spoil the price, or if he did a good gallop might draw attention to himself that would prove fatal to plans. That explains why he was delivered at tho post unfitted for his task, and it was responsible for the failure of the whole fabric of their plottings. The object of a ring-in is, of course, to get a good horse in a race far below his class and with far less weight than he is entitled to on form. Simba had just won three races. Tho Rothsay Trial, for which he. was entered as Gagoola, was for horses that had never won £5O, and with special weights there was also an allowance'for maidens. Gagoola claimed 71b and bis weight was 7st 91b. Handicapped on his form aS Simba, his impost would have been somewhere in the neighbourhood of lOst against the moderates ho met in this field.

Thus he had a pull In the weights of 2 J stone or, perhaps, more. What a "good thing” to bet on. No -wonder there was a huge cash and credit plunge on the horse. Simba was backed for £30,000.6 Of this over £25,000 was for the schemers concerned. What a coup it should have been—but, for this one defect, the lack of condition of the most important factor in the whole thing.

Gagoola was hastened away from the course a ssoon as the race was over. His attendant didn’t even take him back to his stall in the paddock. Instead a man awaited nearby with his rug, and he went back to the laneway through which horses go and return to and from the racing track, and he made his way off the course along the running ground .

Funny Interlude. There was now a funny interlude. A steward and another official were out inspecting the effect of the racing on the heavy track, It was a wet, sloppy day. As Gagoola passed by, the steward eyed him, remarking to his companion, “My word, that horse looks distressed. Look at him blowing.” The attendant didn’t know what the remark was that was made. He feared that they were suspicious of and discussing him, and he quickened his step. But as he drew away, nothing happened, and the sigh of relief as the officials turned in another direction must have been a profound one. It was soon afterwards that inquiries began in earnest, however. Officials went to the stables at which he was quartered. But the bird had flown.

However, they felt that all might turn out well, for, Gagoola was an acceptor for a race at Epsom on the following Wednesday, and a float was actually engaged to take him to the meeting. So the stewards decided to await his coming, and it was actually intended fo grab him there and impound him, pending investigations concerning his identity and his credentials, and those of his connections. But he never turned up. It had been a clever ruse to ward off suspicion while he got clear away. It is thought that he came back to Sydney on the Monday. A racehorse was dispatched on that day. But his name was not Gagoola, nor Royal Scot, nor Invicta. Some other cognomen had been affixed to the muchshifted, frequently re-named colt, and he came consigned to some person who hitherto had not been associated with the case. Hue and Cry. The hue and cry developed soon afterwards, and it followed Gagoola to Sydney in the belief that he came there. Officials of the A.J.C. were pressed into service at this end, and one day a message was received to the effect that Gagoola was actually at Calmsley Hill, but had broken his leg and was destroyed. The registrar of horses, Mr Loddon, Yuille, and A.J.O. veterinary surgeon, Mr Roy Stewart, went to the spot, and were shown a heap of ashes. Mr Stewart picked up a tail-hair, which afterwards was identified as that of a bay horse, and was not of the chestnut colour of Gagoola. It is doubtful if officialdom was for a moment hoodwinked into the belief that those ashes were the remains of Gagoola. Three weeks from the time Gat I fla bad run at Flemington had elapsed when Mr Yuille began inquiring for the whereabouts of a horse named Simba, who had been dispatched from New Zealand by J. T. Jamieson, but had not been heard of since arrival.

Officials were thus confronted now with a search for two horses. But nothing transpired until early in July, when a Mr G. Guest approached the Press and announced himself as the owner of Simba, and told the reporter that the horse was now turned out ut a place calted Warren, near Dubbo. He had been gelded, he added, and was spelling to recover from the operation, and it was hoped that soon he would be able to go into work for the spring racing. His mission was thought to be the next Epsom. It was considered strange that having raced so successfully in New Zealand as an entire, the first thing done to Simba should be this operation. What was the object? Then it leaked out. Mr Guest iad been asked by the A.J.C. to produce Simba for official inspection. This was his reply. He had been operated on, and was spelling. He would be produced when the opportunity was ripe. But Simba was not gelded. He may have been spelling.. But, in true fact, he was probably awaiting the dropping of his coat, so that the dye he had worn when changed to Gagoola should disappear, and once more he would become the brown colt Simba. Since then officialdom doesn’t know what has become of Simba. A horse appeared some months ago following the story of a theft. But where Simba had been a clean-skin, with no brands, this horse on his re- ( ported recovery appeared with several brands. They were, in fact.

identical with a set put on a horse called Poynton, bred by Mr Herbert Thompson, well-known N.B.W. studmaster, Charge of Theft. Poynton had been a failure for two years, but at four years he was suddenly registered for the first time. He was by Polymnester from Warble. A charge of theft of the alleged Simba against a man named A. N. McCoy resulted in an adjournment and £5OO bail. But at a subsequent hearing the police prosecutor announced that the owner did not wish the charge to proceed, and consequently McCoy was discharged, and the matter dropped.

The branded horse alleged to be Simba worked at various places round Sydney for a time, and then came the announcement of his entry for the Sydney ponies. He was nominated for a Flying Handicap and V.P. Handicap at Victoria Park meeting on June 28 last. It seems that the entries were received, however, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors at the pony clubs, and at a meeting the day before he was to race it was decided to reject them. As Simba had not been registered with the A.J.C. and his entry had now been turned down by the pony clubs, he could race nowhere in Australia or New Zealand. Here was a valuable horse bought for £l5OO, who bad cost a lot more in other expenses, but he wa» useless. He wasn’t even a saleable proposition, for under no other nomination could his entry have been accepted. There was no prospect for the horso at all.

. Next sensation was his reported death. He had falibn while exercising in a paddock at Rand wick suburb, it was said, and broken a foreleg, and) had been destroyed. Ths body war sent to the boiling down.

But before it was put into the vat*, the police stepped in, and asked for aw 1 inspection. This was made by Detectives Collins and Parmeter, and others, 'leey went over his markings, closely scanned his colour, and turned him over so that both sides could be seen.

One witness says definitely the horse was too light in colour for Simba, that a patch of white hair on his back was missing, or too small to fit the mark that Simba carried, and a piece of proud flesh Simba carried wasn't apparent. Whether it was Simba or not, may never be definitely fixed.

In the meantime, however, the identification of Simba as the horse who raced as Gagoola in the Rothsay Trial Stakes at Flemington over a year ago is announced by the V.R.O. Committee.

Evidence slowly but surely acquired over this long period has evidently piled up to the extent that no doubt remains in the official mind and on Thursday last at a general meeting to deal with the case, the V.R.C. Committee came to definite conclusions. In announcing their decision they added that hone and owner would be disqualified for five yean. The fact that the V.Jt.C. worried to disqualify a horse (alleged to be dead) suggests a certain amount of doubt about the matter. And so ends a case which provided the Turf with more and greater sensations than any other associated with the racing game.