Reid - Doped The Real Life Story of the 1960s Racehorse Doping Gang

DOPED

For Sara

DOPED

THE REAL LIFE STORY OF THE

1960S RACEHORSE DOPING GANG

Jamie Reid

Copyright Jamie Reid 2013

The right of Jamie Reid to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First published in Great Britain in 2013 by

Racing Post Books

Axis House, Compton, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 6NL

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-909471-04-7

MOBI: 978-1-909471-21-4

EPUB: 978-1-909471-22-1

Cover designed by Jay Vincent

Text designed by Soapbox

www.soapbox.co.uk

Printed and bound in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Every effort has been made to fulfil requirements with regard to copyright material. The author and publisher will be glad to rectify any omissions at the earliest opportunity.

www.racingpost.com/shop

PICTURE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Cover

Front top and bottom: Getty Images.

Back top left and top right: PA Archive/Press Association; bottom left Daily Herald Archive/

NMEM/Science and Society Picture Library.

Plate section

Daily Herald Archive/NMEM/Science and Society Picture Library: 2

Getty Images: 4 top and bottom, 5 top Mirrorpix: 3 top

NI Syndication: 1 top

PA Archive/Press Association: 5 bottom, 6, 7 top and bottom, 8 top

Contents

THE DOPING GANG

Bill Roper Bookmaker and professional gambler.

Micheline Lugeon Bills Swiss lover.

Edward Teddy Smith Nicknamed The Witch Doctor.

Charlie Mitchell Bookmaker, gambler and hard man.

Joe Lowry Professional punter and earwigger.

Edward Jackie Dyer Bookmaker, punter and earwigger.

Emmanuel Lipman Leonard Darkie Steward Former stable lad and apprentice jockey.

Jack Stiles Former stable lad turned bad boy.

Richard McGee Tablet Production Manager at Bayer Laboratories.

Alexander Harry Field Professional burglar and locksmith.

Brian Perry A foolish friend of Darkie Steward.

Sylvia Cross Daughter of an antiques dealer and Darkie Stewards girlfriend.

Elaine Grande Auburn-haired stripper and Harry Fields girlfriend.

May Kibble Unmarried mother of four young children. Ted Smiths lady.

Jimmy Cronin Former stable lad.

Johnny Barnham Former boxer turned black cab driver.

THE LOYAL WIFE

Doris Roper, nee Doris Curd The official Mrs Roper and mother of Bills two sons.

THE BOOKMAKERS

Max Parker Owner of the family business and chairman of Ladbrokes.

Harry Snouty Parker Maxies older brother.

Cyril Stein Snoutys son and Maxies nephew.

William Hill Max Parkers arch rival.

Bernie Howard Surrey-based bookmaker and punter.

THE GANGSTERS

Albert Dimes Also known as Italian Albert. Owner of a credit bookmaking business in Frith Street.

Billy Hill Predecessor and ally of Dimes.

Jack Spot So called King of the Underworld until forced out by Hill and Dimes.

Billy Howard Ex prize fighter and club owner.

The Kray Brothers Charlie Mitchells business partners in the 1960s.

The Sabinis Racecourse racketeers in the 1920s and 30s.

THE TRAINERS

Flat:

Noel Murless The top trainer in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Based at Warren Place stables in Newmarket.

Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Murlesss Newmarket neighbour and rival.

Jack Waugh Trained at Heath House stables, Newmarket.

Jack Watts Trained at Fairway House, Newmarket.

Major Dick Hern Trained from 1957 to 1962 at La Grange stables, Newmarket.

Henri Jellis, Fergie Sutherland and Reg Day Newmarket-based trainers.

Gordon Smyth Private trainer to the Duke of Norfolk at Arundel in Sussex.

Dermot Boggy Whelan Popular Irish trainer based in Epsom.

Harold Wallington Gambling trainer based at Hillcrest stables, Epsom.

Peter and Dick Thrale Father and son trainers based at Downs House stables, Epsom. Farnham Maxwell Irish trainer based in Lambourn.

Bob Read Journeyman trainer based in Lambourn.

Jumps:

Major Peter Cazalet Owner of Fairlawne in Kent. Trained for the Queen Mother.

Captain Ryan Price Brilliant, rogueish, piratical trainer, based at Findon in Sussex.

Arthur Thomas Official licence holder at Guys Cliffe stables near Warwick. Stooge for the Irish trainer, Paddy Sleator.

TF Fred Rimell Based at Kinnersley in Worcestershire.

Roy Whiston Based near Hodnet in Shropshire.

Tim Molony Based at Wymondham in Leicestershire.

Captain Neville Crump Based at Middleham in Yorkshire.

WA Arthur Stephenson Based at Leasingthorne near Bishop Auckland.

Major Calverley Bewicke Known as Verley. Based at Shawdon Hall in Northumberland.

C H Bell Based at Hawick in Scotland.

Ken Oliver Based at Hawick in Scotland.

Chris Nesfield Based at Charing in Kent.

THE JOCKEYS

Flat:

Gordon, later Sir Gordon, Richards Champion jockey 26 times between 1925 and 1954. Later became a trainer.

Lester Piggott Sir Gordons successor and stable jockey to Noel Murless.

Arthur Scobie Breasley Australian-born jockey who rode for Gordon Smyth and the Duke of Norfolk.

Geoff Lewis Stable jockey to Harold Wallington.

Dandy McGreevy An apprentice in Epsom in the 1950s.

Jumps:

Fred Winter Stable jockey to Ryan Price.

Bill Rees and David Mould Stable jockeys to Major Peter Cazalet.

Bobby Beasley Stable jockey to Arthur Thomas and Paddy Sleator.

David Nicholson Nicknamed The Duke.

Derek Ancil Oxfordshire-based trainer and jockey.

Terry Biddlecombe Stable jockey to Fred Rimell.

Johnny Lehane, Johnnie East, Jimmy Fitzgerald, Jimmy Leech and Tommy Barnes Northern based jockeys in the early 1960s.

THE STABLE LADS

Philip Snuffy Lawler One of Noel Murlesss top lads.

Michael Heffernan and Kenny Santus Worked in Newmarket for Fergie Sutherland.

Jimmy Hilliard Worked in Newmarket in the 1950s and 1960s.

Norman Pope Worked in Epsom in the 1950s.

THE JOCKEY CLUB

Lord Rosebery Harry Rosebery, the 6th Earl. Owner, breeder and punter.

Duke of Norfolk Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard. The Crowns Ascot representative from 1945 until 1972