MYSTERY HORSE WAS BACKED FOR FORTUNE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 142, 17 June 1931, Page 1

MYSTERY HORSE WAS BACKED FOR FORTUNE.

(Special to the “ Star.”) MELBOURNE, June 9. Racing men were puzzled yesterday when- Gagoola, an unknown three-year-old, was the medium of a sensational betting plunge in the Rothsay Trial Stakes at Flemington. No one had heard of Gagoola before, and he is still the mystery horse of Melbourne racing circles. It is understood that the connections of the colt informed the stewards that he had not raced before. There is no official record of a previous start. In the race-book Gagoola is described as a three-year-old by Yetman from Dismay. The only Dismay that appears in the Australian Stud Book is a mare by Mostyn, who was bred in 1901. However, Dismay was still at the stud when the last issue of the Stud Book was issued, and in 1924 produced a colt named Mount Melody and in 1925 a filly subsequently named Mountain May. These two horses are by Mountain King. There is no record in the Stud Boole of Yetman having visited this particular Dismay, who belongs to Messrs B. and J. P. Burgess, of New South Wales. % Many thousands of pounds would have been taken out of the ring yesterday if Gagoola had been first instead of second. In the hill and fiat rings plenty of 33 to 1 was available. It was one of the most sensational betting plunges ever attempted in Melbourne. For a horse having its first race, Gagoola has evidently had plenty of training, as he ran a solid race after having been disadvantaged by having drawn an outside berth at the barrier. A fortune was missed when Stephanite finished too strongly for him in the run home.