MR DIGBY SCANDAL

The recent demise of former money jockey Keith Banks regurgitated the Mr Digby scandal, one of the most controversial of our time or, in the opinion of George Freeman, a great miscarriage of justice.

Of course Freeman, a major influence on results over the period, was one of the key players while Banks, and Harry Clark, trainer of Mr Digby, were fall guys.

Mr Digby ran nineth, untouched in the market at 9/1, on one of the heaviest tracks seen at Randwick on August 3, 1981, in a1600 metre sprint. Two days later over 1900 metres on a good Canterbury surface Mr Digby scored by seven and a half lengths, backed from 7/2 to 11/8.

Newspapers headlined a $350,000 coup, Freeman in his memoirs, “Geoge Freeman”, reckoned he only won $17,000 on the day.

“The Canterbury course and distance were perfect for Mr Digby and by Sydney standards the pain to bookmakers wasn’t all that severe,” Freeman wrote.

But the Freeman factor kicked in. Politicians and parliament became involved. Stewards opened an inquiry at Rosehill on August 15 at the instruction of Australian Jockey Club chairman, Jim Carr.

On September 9 John Mahoney, the AJC chief stipe, exonerated connections, Clark and Banks, of any wrong doing. But there was a query regarding the owner of Mr Digby, and Freeman’s involvement. Subsequently the gelding was transferred to bookmaker Terry Page.

However on November 15 the AJC committee reopened the Mr Digby investigation. Banks and Clark were outed for 12 months. Mahoney quit or was marched from the AJC. The committee also moved on Freeman and asked why he shouldn’t be barred from all Sydney racecourses.

Freeman took the matter to the Equity Court and won, allowed onto a racecourse but rarely went. Banks and Clark decided against the Equity Court action because of the expense involved.

With the passing of Banks, Mr Digby flashed back. Mahoney was adamant to me and inquiries that he couldn’t take action against the gelding because of the bog Randwick track.

When he left the AJC the former chief stipe got a job with the Sydney Turf Club at Canterbury as a groundsman. Tipped off about it “The Sun”, my employer then, sent a helicopter to get a picture of him in his new role. Mahoney hid under a truck.

Later we laughed about it. Mahoney never sold me a bum steer in that turbulent period. Fence jumpers and nobblers rampaged. I asked him once about an inside job, a strapper in a top stable dispensing go slows. He denied it. Later it proved correct and Mahoney apologised for the dummy. “Had to do it to catch him,” Mahoney explained.

Mahoney went West to Perth as chief stipe. Sydney with Freeman had nothing on Perth with George Way where Mahoney copped a hiding, physical not mental like Sydney.