Pat Carey has experienced some extraordinary moments during his life in racing but the Mornington trainer admits the Fine Cotton ring-in 30 years ago Monday was one of the most amazing race days he ever experienced.
Fine Cotton, racing at Eagle Farm, was backed from 33-1 into 7-2 in a nationwide plunge and his victory triggered the country's biggest racing scandal.
Illustration: Matt Golding
"I was the stable foreman for John Meagher and we had a small team of horses predominately owned by Lloyd Williams that were wintering in Queensland," Carey said. "We had a horse called Harbour Gold who'd been balloted out of an earlier race, but we secured a run in another event and we were pretty confident.
"And I was really oblivious to anything that was going on until, of course, Harbour Gold went down narrowly in the finish and I thought to myself, gee hasn't the winner got terrible form. And as I continued to read the racebook, it was hitting home to me just how the poorly the winner was performed. And suddenly it started with a few blokes yelling over the fence, and then it just gathered so much momentum.
"There were little demonstrations, there were people trying to jump the fence and they just kept screaming 'ring-in, ring-in, ring-in'. Then I looked at the horse and then looked at the betting prices, and tended to agree with them," Carey said.
Fine Cotton - actually the well-performed Bold Personality - was automatically disqualified once stewards established a ring-in had occurred. "It took an hour for the stewards to declare Harbour Gold the winner, but you have no idea the confusion and pandemonium that went on that day," Carey said.
One leading Sydney bookmaker, Mark Read, observing punters five-deep around his stand trying to get a bet on before the race, was moved to say: "If this is not a ring-in, I'm not here." Others in the Eagle Farm betting ring that day in 1984 were also calling for stewards to intervene, but the policing of the industry was not as strong as it is today.
Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said this week it would be "foolish to say this could never happen again, but there are a number of close checks with racehorses today than there weren't in those times".
"I think you'll find from when a racehorse comes onto a track for its event, it would have been fully identified on three occasions. As well, horses today are now microchipped so the chances of what happened in the Fine Cotton affair ever occurring again would be slim," Bailey said.
Soon after a thorough investigation was commenced and immediately the scandal pointed to the Waterhouses, Robbie and his father Bill. Ultimately the pair, and seven others, were "warned off" by the Queensland Turf Club. Robbie Waterhouse had all conditions removed in April, 2001.
RING-IN TIMELINE
August 1984 — Fine Cotton ring-in attempt at Eagle Farm.
October 1984 — Robbie Waterhouse, his father Bill, and seven others warned off by the QTC.
June 1992 — Robbie Waterhouse sentenced to eight months weekend detention for perjury in relation to Fine Cotton race.
September 1998 — NSW Racing Board lifts the warning off order on Waterhouse but he is still barred from owning a racehorse or holding a licence.
September 1999 — Waterhouse begins campaign to regain his bookmaking licence.
April 2001 — All conditions on Waterhouse are removed.