
Issue No 58		16 June 2000

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Sport

Buster Punter on Colourful Sydney Racing Identities

Despite Cronjegate, the explosion in sports betting and classy joints like Star City, I can't help but think that Sydney has lost its dirt and with it, the rough charm that made it a sin city with a heart, rather than just a sterile canyon of glass and steel gleaming with cold efficiency.

I mean why do I feel like a supermarket customer when I go and have a bet nowadays? Where's the people with stories to tell and schemes to dream? No, instead we get media hype with blow arses like Sandy Roberts or Ray Warren full of their own self-importance who are besotted with the sound of their own voice.

Bring back the warmth of the lovable rogues and colourful Sydney racing identities - the good old bad old days. I can see the post-mod, hip media gurus sneering ironically over their skim double decaf lattes saying that this bloke has got a terminal case of nostalgia simply because he can't hack the present. I can hack the present all right - just present me with carving knife and I'll hack out all crap that's thrown down the media tubes at me with the utmost zeal and pleasure.

Sadly most punters out there won't even know what I'm talking about so in the interests of inter-generational cross-cultural education I'd like to present to the poor unfortunate media victims out there with a brief roll call of the beautiful people that once made Sydney the big sexy tainted tart it was once was and sadly is no more.

"Bumper" Farrell - Newton Bluebags prop forward, Kings Cross policeman and the original owner of the classic "cauliflower ear". Bumper epitomised the rough head copper who dealt out justice to errant youths with a "swift kick up the arse." Bumper's other claim to fame was chewing the ear of one of his opponents in a scrum one day - don't know what the Tyson fuss was all about, Bumper did it years before and got away with it.

Bob "The Baron" Skelton - Big betting owner/trainer from Sydney's notorious 'Pony' tracks in the 1920's and 30's. Probably his best rort was booking a seemingly no name jockey for one of his plunges, after returning to scale it emerged that the victorious jockey was the Jim Cassidy of his generation that changed his name by deed poll earlier in the week. Clever.

Dr Reginald Stuart-Jones - Abortionist racketeer and playboy nightclub owner who made Geoffrey Edlesten look like a pansy. Loved nothing better than getting slaughtered on the drink with a bunch of crims at a Surry Hills pub, after a day out at the track, and firing off a few rounds into the ceiling from one of his revolvers. Apparently didn't bulk bill.

Frederick Charles "Paddles" Anderson - Tragically misunderstood gambling heavy of the 1950's and 60's who humbly described himself before the courts as a "machinist from Surry Hills". Reputedly hung a leading Sydney jockey out of a skyscraper window by his ankles in the late 70's for winning on one of Paddles' horses when the money wasn't on. Reported to be a model neighbour who always bought Christmas presents for the kiddies.

George David Freeman - Harmless SP Bookmaker who liked going to the races with chief Stipendiary Magistrates. Somehow managed to tip horses with a 98 percent success rate without having to study the form. Reports that he paid off jocks to organise 'boat' races and had a regular lunch date with a leading Sydney racing official are purely coincidental and fictitious of course.

Harry Solomons - Unrecognised philosophical genius and Melbourne racecaller. America had Orson Welles pulling his War of the Worlds radio hoax and Australia had Harry Solomons. In 1939 Harry thought it would be really good idea to cut the land lines of his rival radio stations at a Melbourne track one day and broadcast a fake call five minutes after the actual race had been run. Unfortunately, the authorities uncovered the ruse and Harry protested that the nationwide betting plunge on the horse he called as the winner was merely a coincidence. I really think Harry was way ahead of his time, he was obviously trying to show that reality in the modern world is an illusion and constructed by images. Predated that Baudrillard character and his 'simulacra' thing by a good 40 years.

"Hollywood" George Edser - Legendary dashing punter who got warned off for life by the AJC in 1961 as an "undesirable person". George would have been most offended as he took great pride in his attire always wearing the latest and loudest clobber. Caused a "sensation" at Randwick one day by wearing a "pleated shirt front" which was way too radical for those Kings old boy types.

Jim "The Grafter" Kingsley - Also known as "The Big Walrus" who philosophised that "only fools and horses work." Jim knocked around Sydney in the early part of last century and was a brilliant innovator. His best work was digging tunnels under the official weigh-in areas of racetracks where he would organise jockeys to weigh in 10kg light after backing them off the map.

Joe "King of the Ring" Taylor - Gentleman of the Sydney underworld, nightclub owner and the man behind the infamous Thommo's two-up school. Running mate of Perce Galea who believed that money was only printed for the sole purpose to put on racehorses.

Perce Galea - Sydney's illegal casino king of the 1950's and 60's, leviathan punter and devout Catholic. Won punting immortality by throwing a bundle of notes over the fence and into the crowd at Rosehill one day when his horse, Eskimo Prince took out the '64 Slipper. Never afraid to bet up big when his luck was running, Perce was the Prince of punters in his time and obviously serves as some sort of role model for "Singo", with his "I'll shout the bar" routine.

Rufe Naylor - A between the wars gambling impresario. Had a celebrated career as a professional punter, bookmaker, sporting and theatrical promoter, orator and political candidate. One story sums him up, after backing a dog in from 20-1 to 6-4 and collecting the cash, a hanger on commented, "you'd never think it was the same dog which raced here a couple of weeks ago." "It isn't" replied Rufe - 'nuff said.

There are many more characters buried in time that haven't been mentioned here and if you'd like to dig some of them up I suggest you consult David Hickie's definitive works on the Sydney underworld, which I've partly used here as a source; "The Prince and the Premier" and "Gentleman of The Australian Turf".

Heard a rumour? Stumbled onto some scandal? Or come across something that you reckon's just not on?

Then email Buster at: [email protected]

Confidentiality and discretion guaranteed.

Til next month punters.

   Heard a rumour? Got the lowdown on some low life? Then email Buster

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  Issue 58 contents

Interview: After the Gold Rush
NSW building union leader Andrew Ferguson on life after the Olympics and why Che Guevara is his political hero.

Unions: MUA Women's Policy Back on Course
A hard hitting report by the Maritime Union's women's delegate Sue Gajdos prompts the union to, once again, promote its female members.

Politics: Raising the Rafters
Opposition leader Kim Beazley delivered a stirring address to last weekend's NSW ALP State Conference. Here's every word of it.

History: Time and Tide
Greg Patmore surveys the themes of Working Lives in Regional Australia in this introduction to the latest issue of 'Labour History'

International: Fair in the Land of the Free
More than 20,000 immigrant workers, union members and community and religious leaders packed a Los Angeles Sports Arena on June 10 in support of immigrant workers' rights.

Environment: Life's a Beach
Workers are invited to join an environmental campaign to protect the coastal communities and coastline from exploitation by multinationals.

Satire: More Pacific Coups Forecast
The popular holiday resort of Great Keppel Island is bracing itself for a bloody coup, following the rash of rebel uprisings in other parts of the Pacific.

Review: At the Barricades
Denis Evans' photo essay on the Patrick dispute captures the camaraderie on the Melbourne picket lines - solidarity that, like solder, welded workers and their communities together into a human barricade.

Crackdown on Fiji Workers Intensifies
Building Industry Braces for Post-Games Slump
Call Centre Battle Hots Up
More Sackings Spark Entitlements Showdown
Carr Establishes Labor Hire Inquiry
High Court Puts Workers At Reith's Mercy
Miners Hit the Streets Over Death Threats
Unions Urged to Reignite Republic Debate
Tips Rip-Off Sparks Hotel Picket
Community Workers to Lay Siege to Parliament
Water Workers Accept 14% Pay Rise
Counselling for Workplace Accidents
Korean Food Festival is Union Business
Che Helps Doctors Save Lives
Maude Barlow Public Lecture - Sydney June 27