ATTACK ON HORSE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1930, Page 28 (Supplement)

ATTACK ON HORSE

STEEPLECHASE FAVOURITE, WATCHMAN FIRES SHOTS. Sydney, July 23. A hitherto unpublished incident relating to Mosstrooper’s running in the Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington last week-end was revealed after the horse had won the race .in brilliant style last Saturday. A fortnight ago Mosstrooper carried off the Grand National Hurdles on the same course and in consequence became a solid favourite for the steeplechase. At 1.30 a.m. on Saturday last—a few hours before Mosstrooper left his stable to take his place in the Grand National field —an attempt was made to interfere with him. As was the custom, Mr. Gus Powell, Mosstrooper’s owner, placed an armed guard over the stable door a week before the race, and early on Saturday morning the watchman, while on his rounds of the stable, heard sounds coming from Mosstrooper’s box. He did not investigate immediately, but continued his rounds and then came back to Mosstrooper’s stall. He. heard voices before he turned a corner and then saw a group, of shadowy figures clustered about the stall door. He called out to them, but the men—there appeared to be three—ran away into the darkness. The watchman followed them, and, drawing his revolver, fired on them. One of the men staggered momentarily, but then went on and whether he was struck by a bullet or not is unknown. . The watchman lost the intruders in the gloom and returned to the stable. There he found that the padlock on the stall door had been twisted, but evidently the gang did not have time to break open the door. The police were called, but no trace of the intruders could be found. Mr. Gus Powell, the owner of the horse, stated that he did not doubt that an attempt had been made to interfere with his horse, as he had received threats from a gang of men who had asked him for money. Failure to send money to them, they said, would be the signal for an attack on Mosstrooper, and he took special precautions to guard against foul play. The horse was backed heavily In doubles and in straight-out betting and ho brought off a splendid coup for his connections' when he took the race. Many paid out heavily over the Grand National double. The two Mosstroopers were supported for a large sum and when the horse won the G.N. Hurdles a fortnight ago, it was hard to back him for the steeplechase, so cramped was his price. The police favour the theory that the attempt to enter the stable -was the work of the gang of blackmailers who have‘ been terrorising Melbourne racing men during the last tew months, j