Spider bite death of champion racehorse Black Caviar’s half-brother Jimmy spurs $5 million court battle

A $5 MILLION court battle has erupted over the spider bite death of Black Caviar’s half-brother, Jimmy in the latest twist in a $140 million punting scam.

Rivals flog a dead horse in $5m court battle

A $5 MILLION court battle has erupted over the spider bite death of Black Caviar’s half-brother, Jimmy.

Breeder Rick Jamieson is being pursued for his share of the insurance payout over the horse’s death late last year.

Bloodstock agents Inglis claim they owned the colt when he died and paid for his vet bills.

But Mr Jamieson is standing firm, saying he paid $500,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the animal and the money is his.

Australia’s leading bloodstock agent, Inglis, has lodged a claim in the NSW Supreme Court.

The court battle is the latest twist in the Bill Vlahos punting club scandal, where more than 1000 punters were stripped of $140 million in a scam that is under investigation by the fraud squad.

Inglis is listed as plaintiff in court documents, while BC3 Thoroughbreds, Mr Jamieson and his company, Gilgai Farms, and Philip Prendergast, who paid $500,000 for a 10 per cent share, are defendants.

Mr Jamieson and Mr Prendergast say Inglis has no claim on the insurance money after they paid their premiums in good faith, according to the documents. Inglis claimed it was the owner of the horse when it died because it had been paid only $825,000 for $5 million purchase.

“On 29 December 2013 Lot 131 (Jimmy the horse) was euthanised with the consent of the plaintiff and the underwriters of the insurance policy,” Inglis’s statement of claim says.

“By letter dated 22 January 2014 the administrators by their solicitors agreed that Inglis, if it paid the veterinary invoices relating to the treatment of Lot 131, could be reimbursed for the payment of such invoices from the proceeds of the insurance policy.”

Inglis claims a security it placed on the horse puts it to the top of the list of creditors.

“That security has priority to any claim made by any of the defendants in these proceedings.”

There were high hopes that Jimmy could emulate some of the success of Black Caviar and also have huge potential as a top-priced stallion.

BC3 Thoroughbreds has since dropped its claim on the insurance payout.

The horse sold for a record $5 million in Sydney last year.