1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: Last week on Life and Crimes, Rick Wenzelis bought quite 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: a few race horses, and he bought ones that did 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: look like each other, and only one of them was 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: the good horse code of pennzaluss have a closer look, 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: and he has a close look, and he realizes it's 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: all the same horse. And Rinzalez says, he's two envelopes. 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: Here's a thin one and there's a fat one. If 8 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: you choose the thin one, you put it in your pocket. 9 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: After today, we don't worry about it. If you take 10 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: the fat one, you're one of the team. I'm Andrew Rule. 11 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,480 Speaker 1: This is Life and Crimes. Last week we looked at 12 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: the rise and fall and rise again really of Stephen Wood, 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: known throughout racing as the ringing jockey from the notorious 14 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: regal Vista Royal School ringing at Castadon circa nineteen seventy, 15 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: but who was also involved in several other ringings before 16 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: and after those events. This time we look at how 17 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: it all unraveled for Stevie, who is these days regarded 18 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: as one of the most entertaining and funny and oddly 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: enough honest people that you'd ever met. Of course, as 20 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: many listeners will know. It all comes to a grinding 21 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: halt when Rick Renzalez good Horse, the ringing Horse Code 22 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: of Pen, actually pulls up the lame after a race 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: at I think would end or somewhere, and Stevie said 24 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: that this horse needs a spell, he needs to be 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: looked after whatever. And the trainer and the trainer's assistant, 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 1: no one was willing to argue with Rick Renzealeb because 27 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: he was a bad tempered, foul mouthed, you know, semi 28 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: violent sort of semi gangster, and none of them wanted 29 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: to tell him that his good horse, Code to Pen 30 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: had a problem. And what the trainer did, rather than 31 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: work the horse and gallop him and all that because 32 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: of this suspect leg, he swam him and swam him 33 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: and swam him and hoped that he would stay fit 34 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: enough and that his leg would recover and so on. 35 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: And Renzella mounted what could have been and what he 36 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: planned to be a massive plunge in Sydney, ringing in 37 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: Coda Pen the good Horse for a no good horse 38 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: called Red Dean or Red Iron Rid and Steve Wood 39 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 1: tells the story that he cantered this horse out out 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,679 Speaker 1: into the straight at Randwick got over on his neck 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: and he thought, oh no, this horse is jarring. I 42 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: can feel jarring coming up through that body leg. He's 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: not right. He's going to go wrong. He'll probably break down. 44 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: But what'll I do. The money's on. I've got to 45 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: get him scratched because he knew that Renzala will have 46 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: backed this horse around Australia with in the doubles and 47 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: all the rest of it. He gets around to the start, 48 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: and because he's a relatively unknown Melbourne or Victorian jockey 49 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: riding against the cream of Sydney's greatest jockeys, Ethel Mulley, 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: George Moore, all those sort of guys, he hasn't got 51 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: any pull, any currency, any credibility with them. When he 52 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: gets around to the start, he says, excuse me, sir, 53 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: to the starter, I think my horse is not right. 54 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: I can feel the jarring in him, and I think 55 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: he's lame. And they get him to get off, and 56 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: then they lead the horse back and forth for the 57 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: club vet or the starter or somebody, and that official says, 58 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: oh no, he's all right, And had Steve would have 59 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: been a better known senior jockey, particularly a Sydney jockey, 60 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: they would have taken his word for it, but they 61 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: wouldn't because he was a no name jockey, so they 62 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: force him to ride in the race. So he gets 63 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: back on the horse, he jumps out, he's drawn wide. 64 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: He tries to lead the field to the first turn 65 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: and the horse seems to go all right, but in 66 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: the home straight when he puts the pressure on, he 67 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: feels it go wrong. A rider ranged up beside him 68 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: and would said, there's two hundred innutes for you if 69 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: you'd drop back and let me win, But it was 70 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: too late. The whole field overtook him and his horse, 71 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: his actual horse, real name, cod of Pen, pulled up 72 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: absolutely lame on three legs, and I don't think of 73 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: a raced again. He certainly didn't race for a long time. 74 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: But that was a very bad day for the ringing merchants, 75 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: and one that Steve would sensed was avoidable because the 76 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: horse should have been pulled out earlier. They all go 77 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: back to a flat that they've rented there, and he 78 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: said the murder was pretty down, and he walked in. 79 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 1: He was last there, and Rangela says, oh, here comes 80 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: out of jock and he grabs a pistol from Fred 81 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: from Sydney. He was there, the armed bodyguard. He grabs 82 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: his pistol and points it at Steve Wood and says, ah, 83 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: your little bastard, and then laughs. It was all a joke. 84 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: And so they licked their wounds and they went back 85 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: to Victoria to do it all again. And what happened, 86 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: as most people know, is that Renzella, having broken down 87 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: his good horse code of pen, went and bought another 88 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: good horse called regal Vista. And regal Vista was a 89 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: bit too good. He was almost a champion. He won 90 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: a list of stakes he'd won or run placings in 91 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: the most elite sprint races in Victoria. He was one 92 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: of Australia's best ten sprinters probably and he'd hit a 93 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: sort of age about six year old, where he could 94 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: be bought. And Renzela paid what was then a considerable 95 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: some for him six thousand dollars, which these days might 96 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: be like paying one hundred and twenty thousand something like that, 97 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: and he had a plan to ring him in I 98 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: think in South Australia. But meanwhile he wanted to ring 99 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: him in at Casteradon in Western Victoria. And as everyone knows, 100 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: that is the ring in where Rick Renzella came unstuck 101 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: because he ran him under the name Royal School. Royal 102 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: School was another one of his many slow black horses 103 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: that looked like CODEA Penn. It looked like Code Penn, 104 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: but it did not look like regal Vista. Bad mistake. 105 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: The other thing about regal Vista, he was, apart from 106 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: being a really good looking, handsome horse with a beautiful head, 107 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: the sort of horse that race govers and racing people 108 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: would recognize, he had a big scar on his rump 109 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: and it was from a paddock accident as a young horse, 110 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: and the scar was quite distinctive. If you'd seen him 111 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: once somewhere, you'd know him from the scar. And of 112 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: course at Castidon Races, this wise old trainer Jim Serk 113 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: sees the horse and knows it's regal Vista, backs the 114 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: horse and that starts a bit of a rush among 115 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: the bookies, which of course really throws out the re 116 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: Renzala plan of backing it on the tab in doubles, 117 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: which is what he's done, because the money goes on 118 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: on course. Jim Serk started a gold rush when wise 119 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: old bookmakers saw Jim Serke backing this horse, they thought, oh, 120 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: I don't know what's happened here, but if Serk's backing it, 121 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: we should, so they'd send their runners over to back 122 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: it with other people, and then other punters would notice 123 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: that it was being backed and the price was being 124 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: wound in shorter, and so the more money that went on, 125 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: the shorter got, the shorter got, the more money went on. 126 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: And of course when it wins, as it does beating 127 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: an absolute crackerjack local bush champion trained by a very 128 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: fine trainer from the Western district, these stewards are most 129 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: interested in the events because it's been backed off the map. 130 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: It's one and it would appear to be highly suspicious, 131 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: particularly because Jim Serk, after collecting his winnings from the bookmakers, 132 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: went to Jack Barling, the trainer of the runner up 133 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: the horses should have won the race, and said, I 134 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: think you were beaten by a ring in, and so 135 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: that put the cat among the pigeons, and that would 136 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: lead to Renzala being charged and getting struck out for 137 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: life and getting jailed. It would lead to Steve Wood 138 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: being struck out for I think twenty years plus two 139 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: years for something else, a penalty that he actually had 140 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: overturned on appeal. In the end, Wood had his penalty 141 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: overturned and was able to return to riding, which was amazing. 142 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: But Renzala was in big trouble. And the second part 143 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: of the Steve Wood story, the one that's not so 144 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: well known, is that Steve of Wood later takes up training. 145 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: He rode successfully as a jockey for a short time 146 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: again after the scandal, but he got injured in a fall. 147 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: Had he not been injured in that fall, he probably 148 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: would have ridden on for some years and gone okay, 149 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: because it basically sort of been forgiven by the racing establishment, 150 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: and a very kind trainer called Brian Courtney offered to 151 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: rehabilitate his reputation by using him as i think a 152 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: secondary stable jockey, so that when other trainers saw and 153 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: other owners saw Brian Courtney putting Wood on his horses, 154 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: they thought, well, if it's good enough for Brian courtney's 155 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: good enough for us. And for a while Steve Wood 156 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: rode fairly successfully against the odds really in Melbourne, but 157 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: then he had a fall and that fall kept him 158 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: out for many weeks, a couple of months say, and 159 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: at the end of that period, trainers have moved on. 160 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: He'd been replaced on good horses with other riders. And 161 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: it's the oldest story in racing. Once you're off the 162 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: scene for a while and lose the plumb rides, it's 163 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: very hard to get back on. And for jockeys, really, 164 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: the wise jockeys know that the best horse mostly wins 165 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: the race, regardless of the jockey. The great art of 166 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: jockeying is to jockey your way onto the best horse. 167 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: You need to push the other jockeys out of the 168 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: way and talk your way into riding the better horses, 169 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: and that is the way the system actually works. Steve 170 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: would realize his time was up as a rider. He 171 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: got sick of it. He took out a trainer's license. 172 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: Steve Wood later remarried as he would a couple of times, 173 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: I think four times, and he took out a trainer's license, 174 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: and he was up in the Northeast. I think he 175 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: was at Aubrey where he finished his riding career and 176 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: started his training career at Aubrey, and he was within 177 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: no time, as they say in racing, eating the paint 178 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: off the walls. He had a big bill down at 179 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 1: the feed shop. He had farious bills. He had bills 180 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: for renting loose boxes. He had bills everywhere, and he 181 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,680 Speaker 1: couldn't pay them. And he thought, well, there's only one 182 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: thing for this. I better go in for a ring in. 183 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: So i'ld mate Stevie Wood shorter money. He takes up 184 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: ring ins just as Rick Wenzela had. In fact he 185 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: was probably a bit better at them in some respects. 186 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: He took a horse called Tilant up to Orange, and 187 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: of course he did have a better horse to fill 188 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: in for Tilant, and it won the race, and they 189 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: cleaned up about twenty three thousand dollars on the punt 190 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: and cleaned out the bookmakers, all the local bookies at 191 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 1: the Orange races, and they drove home to all be 192 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: very happy. But of course, you know, after paying off 193 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,559 Speaker 1: a few bills and life goes on, they decided they 194 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: need to do it again. And I actually think he 195 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: did three. He did three in a row. But the 196 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: most notorious one that Steve Wood did was he got 197 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 1: hold of a slow horse called Foden. I remember this horse, Foden, 198 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: and he obtained a much better horse. I think he 199 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: had somebody else by it. It was called Nordica, a Nordica. 200 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: They both chestnut horses, light chestnuts, similar type sprinters, but 201 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 1: Nordica was lengths better than Foden, and Foden was actually 202 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: pretty well a pitney horse from down in South Gippsland. 203 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 1: He bought it from the Hill family, I think, one 204 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: of whom later became a Stuart Mark Hill. And Nordica, 205 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: funnily enough, came from a trainer up in the Arra 206 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: Valley called Wood, no relation to Steve would just by chance, 207 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: and they looked reasonably like each other, and he took 208 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: them to broken him, and the good horse was substituted 209 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: for the slow horse and ran as the slow horse. 210 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: But unlike the Renzala wrought, which was fairly sophisticated, the 211 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: Wrenzala thing relied on having false registration papers so that 212 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: when the stewards checked each runner, they could look at 213 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 1: its brands and then look at the registration papers to 214 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: make sure it matched. And Renzale's great art as a 215 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: crook was to have beautifully forged registration papers so that 216 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: the papers matched that horse, regardless of the name on it. 217 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,839 Speaker 1: The brand markings and all that matched that horse, which 218 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: made it a pretty good trick. And that was a 219 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: trick that was only knocked out later when they brought 220 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: in a more sophisticated way of identifying the horses. What 221 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: Steve Wood did he didn't have access to good forged 222 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: registration papers, and what he did was the more old 223 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: fashioned ring in, where he would take two horses to 224 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 1: the races in a horse float and switch them. And 225 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,439 Speaker 1: so he would lead the slow horse in and give 226 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: it a look around and give it a pick of 227 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: grass or whatever, and then lead it back and put 228 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: it on the float and come out with the fast 229 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: horse with the slow horses rug on, so it looked 230 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: the same let's say, same head collar, looking as close 231 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: to the other one as it could. And when it 232 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: was racetime, the theory was that the stewards either wouldn't 233 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: check them properly, or they would have checked the slow 234 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: horses brands early in the day and then would assume 235 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: that everything was okay, and providing they didn't check it 236 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: again after the race, you were home and host. And 237 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: what would happen is if they pulled off a ring 238 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 1: in successfully, they would lead the horse away after the 239 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: race fairly smartly and pretend to take it to be 240 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: hosed down, and then they would take it out and 241 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: put it in the float and somebody would drive it 242 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: away and get rid of it. Either take both horses 243 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: away or take the fast horse away was the way 244 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: to go. And that was a pretty complicated thing to 245 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: get away with, except you know where, you've got a 246 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: meeting where the steward's a bit lazier or a bit slack, 247 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: or having a few drinks or whatever it might be. 248 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: And on this particular day at Broken Hill, they've pulled 249 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: off this ring in, they've backed the winner, they've got 250 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:35,239 Speaker 1: the money. But one of the visiting people at Brokenhill, 251 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: would you believe, is a man called Bill Brewer. And 252 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: Bill Brewer was by this stage a mid career racing stewart. 253 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: He's a man in by this stage, he's probably in 254 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: his forties, and he's quite an experienced steward. And he 255 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: sees that this horse has won at big odds and 256 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: won a lot of money, and it's been backed, and 257 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: he's instantly suspicious, particularly when he sees that it's been 258 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: led around by Stephen Wood. Now he knew who Stephen 259 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: Wood was because Bill Brewer had been the young steward 260 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: at Castidon when Rinzala had pulled the Regal Vista Royal 261 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: School wrought several years earlier, and he was suddenly on 262 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: full alert and realized that probably something was up, and 263 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: he warned the local stewarts and there was an inquiry 264 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: and next thing, they've unearthed both horses, and you know, 265 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: the brands don't match, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, 266 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: and Stevie Wood was banged up. He was charged with 267 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: serious offenses. The racing detectives came and saw him and 268 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: interviewed him all this sort of stuff, and long story short, 269 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: Stevie Wood, who had got away with two ring ins 270 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 1: on his third one, he didn't get away with it, 271 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: and there was evidence led about the earlier ones because 272 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: bookies put their hands up and said, we remember when 273 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: he won so and so we think it's a ringing, 274 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: so on and so forth, and he ended up doing time. 275 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: He did time. He was locked up in Broken Hill. 276 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: Then he was sent to I think graft and Jail, 277 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: where he did time with serious crooks, including some that 278 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: he got quite friendly with because he was a jockey. 279 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: They quite liked him because jockeys is sort of popular 280 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: with crooks, because crooks love gambling and the reason he 281 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: was kicked out of Broken Hill Jail so quickly was 282 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 1: that on his first day there, he was adopted by 283 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: these three big, young, tough blugs that were in there 284 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: for something, probably fighting or thievery or both. And I 285 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: think might of them might have been a local rugby 286 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: league player or something like that. So he had a 287 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: little bit of local knowledge, and the prison officers like 288 00:17:56,119 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: this young guy, local boys, and after lights, Stevie says, 289 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: the guy below him in the bunk below him bangs 290 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: on his bunk because Steve's in the top one, being 291 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:10,199 Speaker 1: the smallest guy, and he thinks, oh god, what's going 292 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 1: to happen here? Will kill me? And he said, no, mate, 293 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: we're going for Just drop down on the floor where 294 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 1: the screws can't see through the so the peepole and 295 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: our friendly screws will open the door for us. And 296 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: he goes, oh, no, I don't want to be in 297 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,440 Speaker 1: an escape. I'll be in all sorts of trouble. I 298 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: don't want to be a wanted man. He said, no problem, 299 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: no problem, it's okay, and so he said just stay low. 300 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: So when they get out in the corridor, the guy, 301 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 1: his fellow prisoner is in front of him, and he 302 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: drops down low and crawls on his hands and kne's 303 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: really quietly along under the level of the peepoles in 304 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: the other cells. Now it's pretty late at night, it's 305 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: after lights out. Lights out might be nine o'clock, let's say. 306 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: And they creep down to the other end of the 307 00:18:56,400 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: corridor and they see a pair of blue troup houses 308 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,640 Speaker 1: and black shiny shoes. It's a prison officer, but it's okay. 309 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,920 Speaker 1: It's the tame prison officer, the friend, and he lets 310 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,679 Speaker 1: them out of this door, and they sneak out on 311 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: their hands and knees, and once they get out into 312 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: the yard, they stand up and Steve's completely amused and 313 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: puzzled and alarmed. But there he is with these three 314 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: young blokes and he thinks they're leading a prison break. 315 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: And they said, no, no, it's all right, mate, don't worry. 316 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: So they go over to a side gate and broke 317 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: an hill jail and it's conveniently open. They open it, 318 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 1: and one of them bolts down to the local pub 319 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: before closing time and gets a dozen cans of Stubbies 320 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: one or the other of beer and brings it back 321 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: and they sit in the park and they drink beer 322 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: in the park until just before midnight when the shift ends, 323 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 1: when the prison officers shift will end. Then they've got 324 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: to go back in, close the door behind them, sneak 325 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: back into their corridor, drop down again and sneak along 326 00:19:57,840 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: so no one else sees them, and back into their 327 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: else before the shift ends and the Friendly Water goes 328 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: off duty and less friendly Water starts again. That route 329 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: was discovered within a short time because some knark down 330 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: the street saw one of the guys buying beer and 331 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: realized who he was and dubbed them in and that 332 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,919 Speaker 1: is when they were all sent from Broken Hill to 333 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: higher security jail, in this case Grafton. And so in 334 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: the end, Stevie Wood, the promising apprentice jockey who went 335 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: to the dark side, ended up serving time in jail 336 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 1: with hardened criminals, including the one I think they called 337 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: him the Woolworths bomber. He was a guy that attempted 338 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: to extort something like a million dollars out of Woolworth's 339 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: by threatening to blow up the store. He met all 340 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: these sort of guys in jail. He peld up with 341 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,120 Speaker 1: one of them and they started One of Australia's first 342 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: tipping services, and when he came out of jail, he 343 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: realized that racing, even if he wanted to pursue racing 344 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: any more, racing was probably not going to allow him 345 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: to be a licensed person, and so Stevie would in 346 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: his late thirties. I think on his third marriage. I 347 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: think his second wife decided she'd leave during the ringing 348 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: scandal and the jail scandal. He took up working construction 349 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: and he learned enough about construction and about business to 350 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: make his way in the world. And he ended up 351 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 1: owning a motel or more than one, perhaps up on 352 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: the border, and ultimately ended up on the Gold Coast. 353 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: And now he leads a respectable quiet life. He's worked hard, 354 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 1: he's made reasonable money. He and his wife, who is 355 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: a Thai national, have a nice property in Thailand, and 356 00:21:55,080 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: they owned some apartments in Queensland and they divide their 357 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: time between the two places. But that is one of 358 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: those rare stories where people who went wrong get their 359 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: life back on track and do not end up dead 360 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: before their time or in jail. Little Stevie Wood got 361 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: out in time. Thanks for listening. Life and Crimes is 362 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: a Sunday Herald Sun production for True Crime Australia. Our 363 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: producer is Johnty Burton. For my columns, features and more, 364 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: go to Heroldsun dot com dot au, forward slash Andrew 365 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 1: Rule one word. For advertising inquiries, go to news Podcasts 366 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: sold at news dot com dot au. That is all 367 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: one word news podcasts sold And if you want further 368 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 1: information about this episode links in the description