Bold Personality was an Australian
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorse who gained
notability
Notability is the property
of being worthy of notice, having fame, or being considered to be of a high degree of interest, significance, or distinction. It also refers to the capacity to be such. Persons who are notable due to public responsibi ...
by being substituted for the inferior horse
Fine Cotton
Fine Cotton (29 November 1976 20 February 2009) 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) Handic ...
in a race at
Eagle Farm Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse is a heritage-listed horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located at the northern end of Racecourse Road in the suburb of Ascot, from the Brisbane central business district.
The turf track is wi ...
,
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
on 18 August 1984. The attempted scam is infamous in Australian history due to the involvement of some of racing's elite.
Bold Personality, poorly disguised as Fine Cotton, won the race by a small margin after being backed from 33/1 into odds of 7/2, but Racing Stewards were suspicious and rumours of a ring-in quickly spread around the racecourse.
A subsequent inquiry was held and the horse was disqualified. The horse trainer Hayden Haitana, and alleged organiser John Gillespie, were jailed and several people were ''warned off'' by the Australian Jockey Club. High profile bookmakers
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
and
Robbie Waterhouse
Robert Waterhouse is an Australian racing identity, businessman, form specialist, punter and bookmaker. Waterhouse is the son of Bill Waterhouse, he is married to thoroughbred horse trainer Gai Waterhouse, and is the father of bookmaker Tom Water ...
were two of the people warned off, for having had prior knowledge of the scam.
Bold Personality was a bay gelding foaled on 13 August 1977 by Bold Aussie (USA) from Miss Personality by Vibrant (GB). He was bred by Mr & Mrs JP Curran,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
ASB - Bold Personality
Retrieved on 2009-7-26
References
*
Remembering Fine Cotton
{{Sports Corruption Scandals
1977 racehorse births
1984 in Australian sport
Thoroughbred family 1-u
Sports betting scandals
Racehorses bred in Australia
Crime in Brisbane
Horse racing controversies