THE MYSTERY HORSE

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1931, Page 7

THE MYSTERY HORSE

NO SIGN OF SIMBA. SEARCH IS FRUITLESS. Sydney, December 10. No success has attended the efforts of the police to trace the New Zealand mystery horse, Simba, who disappeared mysteriously from a Sydney racing stable last week. Six months ago Simba was the central’figure in a racing sensaß tion, and, although the horse has never raced in Australia, it is probably as well known by name as any other. It is now feared that Simba has been spirited away to some other State, and that ah attempt will be made to race him under some other name. Siih-ba is valued at £2OOO, and had many fine performances to his credit. The name of 'Simba wan first heard in Australia during the search, for another racehorse, Gagobla, who disappeared following sensational backing in a race at Flemington last June. Simba arrived from New Zealand in May, and -wae later sent to a country station for a spell. In August William Calnan, proprietor of a home float at Randwick, was fined £lOO for having made a false statement that Simba was valued at £l5O, and Simba’s owner (Mr. G. Guest) was fined £2O for having aided in the offence. Mr. Guest was absent last week when the horse was stolen, and on his return stated that he could throw no light on the horse’s disappearance. The police discovered that the door of the stables had been broken down, apparently in the dead of night, but nobody has been able to explain why a particularly good watch dog quartered at the stables did not raise the alarm. The horse’s disappearance was reported •t once to the.police, and the’wireless patrol car was quickly on the scene. The whole locality was' thoroughly searched , without results, and the police were un- . able to discover whether a horse-float was used to take Simba away. For more than , a /week now two detectives have been engaged in the search, but the mystery is still as great ae ever it was. The other day the detectives went as far ae to rouse a veterinary surgeon from'his bed at 3 a.m. and told him that Mr. Guest had received an anonymous letter informing him that the veterinary surgeon knew the whereabout* of the horse. After very full inquiries the police were satisfied that such was not the case. Since then detective*, armed with a very full description of Simba, have, visited various country centres, but on each occasion their trial has been a false one. Simba remains one of the greatest mystery horses Australia has ever known.