Bold Personality was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who gained notability by being substituted for the inferior horse Fine Cotton in a race at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane on 18 August 1984. The attempted scam is infamous in Australian history due to the involvement of some of racing's elite.
Bold Personality 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 enquiry 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 and Robbie Waterhouse 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.
Famous quotes containing the words bold and/or personality:
“He said “Next time can I bring my friend?”
And I thought “Does he mean friend?”
And I thought “Yes he does mean friend.”
Which was quite bold in those days.
It was the Dark Ages. Men and men.
And they could still put you in prison for it.
And did, dear.”
—Alan Bennett (b. 1934)
“The great pines stand at a considerable distance from each other. Each tree grows alone, murmurs alone, thinks alone. They do not intrude upon each other. The Navajos are not much in the habit of giving or of asking help. Their language is not a communicative one, and they never attempt an interchange of personality in speech. Over their forests there is the same inexorable reserve. Each tree has its exalted power to bear.”
—Willa Cather (1873–1947)