Fine Cotton was a brown Australian Thoroughbred gelding which was at the centre of a substitution scam (also known as a ring-in) which occurred on 18 August 1984, in the Commerce Novice (2nd division) Handicap over 1,500 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane, Queensland.[1] Although there have been many ring-ins and other illegal scams in Australian racing, the Fine Cotton scandal is infamous in Australia due to the involvement of some of racing's elite.
Fine Cotton was foaled on 29 November 1976, by Aureo from Cottonpicker by Delta. He was bred by the Estate of the Late GA Darke and Mr W D Hayne, New South Wales.[2]
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Fine Cotton was a horse of limited abilities that was racing in the southern areas of Queensland. The horse was eligible to race in restricted races (for horses with fewer than a certain number of wins) and even then had a poor record leading up to the substitution. Before the ring-in, Fine Cotton's last race was in a 1,200m Intermediate Handicap at a Doomben Wednesday meeting on 8 August 1984, where he carried 53.5 kg and started at 20-1. He ran 10th in a field of 12.
The scam involved a syndicate said to be headed by former bloodstock agent John Gillespie, which purchased a horse that looked almost identical to Fine Cotton and performed better. Unfortunately for the syndicate, this horse was injured and unable to race when the ring-in was due to take place. Having already invested money and gone so far, the syndicate decided to find another horse. With time running out, they purchased a horse called Bold Personality, an open-class horse several grades above Fine Cotton.
The syndicate faced a problem in that the horses were different colours. Fine Cotton was an eight year old brown gelding and had white markings on his hind legs, whereas Bold Personality was a seven year old bay gelding with no markings. To overcome this issue, they applied Clairol hair colouring to Bold Personality with limited success. On race day, having forgotten the peroxide to whiten the legs of Bold Personality, they resorted to crudely applied white paint. These poorly conceived attempts to overcome the discrepancies in appearance between the two horses later served to highlight the amateurish nature of the scheme.
The syndicate entered Fine Cotton in a race at Eagle Farm on 18 August 1984. The event chosen was a novice handicap for horses that had won fewer than a set number of races.
A horse of Bold Personality's ability was not eligible to race in a restricted novice handicap because he was considered to be an open class horse. Even allowing for the restricted class, Fine Cotton was in such poor form that he was considered to have an outside chance of winning and opened in the betting at odds of 33-1.
As betting continued, money began to be invested on Fine Cotton both at Eagle Farm and at other tracks and TABs throughout the country. Such was the avalanche of money that Fine Cotton/Bold Personality eventually started at 7/2 ($4.50).
It is believed the conspirators would have netted more than A$1.5 million if the ring-in proved successful. This scale of betting plunge was highly unusual, so racing stewards were already suspicious before the race. Bookmakers in Sydney noticed the unusual change in the odds and voiced their concerns. The word ring-in was mentioned, but nothing was raised with the stewards. By the time the horses reached the barrier, the whisper had become something more.
The 2nd Novice Handicap would in ordinary circumstances have been a forgettable event if not for the substitution. The horses entered were up and coming horses or older horses of limited ability such as Fine Cotton. The syndicate then waited for the race.
The ring-in began slowly, but was quick to pick up pace. Philpot was surprised at how easily the horse worked its way into the race. By the time they reached the corner, the event was a race in two. The early favourite Harbour Gold, who had drifted from fractional odds to 5-1, clung to the rail, and Bold Personality, racing as Fine Cotton and ridden by apprentice Gus Philpot, claimed him on the outside.
From this point on, they were involved in a titanic struggle. First one then the other hit the front until right on the line, where the ring-in stuck his head out and won by only a short half head (known as a "nose", the shortest possible margin of victory in horse racing) from Harbour Gold.
Even if he had lost, the suspicions raised would have uncovered the scam. As it was, inquiries were already undertaken as the place getters returned to scale.
Suspicious after the huge betting plunge and the seemingly dramatic improvement made by Fine Cotton, racing stewards launched an immediate investigation. As Bold Personality returned to scale, the paint was beginning to run on his leg, something obvious to those nearby. Several members of the crowd began to shout "ring-in". Stewards stopped payment of bets in the race while they spoke to Fine Cotton's trainer, Hayden Haitana. They requested the registration papers for Fine Cotton so that they could verify the identity of the race winner; however, Haitana absconded from the track without complying with this request and the scam began to fall apart. Bold Personality—alias Fine Cotton—was disqualified and an official inquiry was opened. With the disqualification, runner up Harbour Gold was awarded the race and the many punters who had backed Fine Cotton did not receive any money.
Hayden Haitana was eventually found in South Australia and was later charged over the affair. As investigations continued it became clear that despite the ineptitude of the ring-in, some high profile individuals were at least aware if not involved in the scheme. Amongst them were well-known Sydney bookmakers Bill Waterhouse and his son Robbie.
As a result of the official inquiry, the Queensland Turf Club, the State's principal racing club, "warned off" (banned) six people for life. They were the organiser John Gillespie, horse trainer Hayden Haitana, businessman Robert North, electrical technician Tommaso Di Luzio and salesman John Dixon. Gillespie and Haitana also served jail terms.[3]
Because most of the betting plunge on the race was on New South Wales racecourses, the Australian Jockey Club in Sydney held its own inquiry and warned off bookmakers Bill and Robbie Waterhouse and seven others, including Catholic Priest Edward O'Dwyer, for having prior knowledge of the ring-in.
Robbie Waterhouse has consistently denied he participated in the scheme or knew of the details. The Waterhouses had bet on Fine Cotton in amounts that suggest they knew Fine Cotton's chances were greater than his form suggested. Whether this was due to a tip or knowledge of the scam has been the subject of considerable speculation. What is known is that the involvement of the Waterhouses infuriated other bookmakers who stood to lose as a result.
The warning-off later presented a problem for Robbie's wife Gai Waterhouse, daughter of training legend Tommy J. Smith, when she applied for a trainer's licence from the AJC. After much pressure by Gai on the AJC she gained her licence to train.
In 1998, after being banned for 14 years, Bill and Robbie Waterhouse were allowed back on to Australian racecourses. Since then, Robbie has had a number of controversial run-ins with racing stewards. As of August 2010, trainer Hayden Haitana was still serving his life ban.[4]
Fine Cotton died on 20 February 2009, aged 31.[5]