Lucia Santa details

On the 8th July 1968 I planned to run a three-year-old filly by the name of Lucia Santa in the Hambleton Selling Handicap at Teesside Park. I had left her in the race at the overnight stage and she was fit and ready to run.

On the morning of the race it came to my attention that Lucia Santa was missing from the racecard. I called Weatherby’s to find out what had happened.

The secretary at Weatherbys explained to me that I had called yesterday (Sunday) and withdrawn the horse. I was surprised to say the least and insisted that I had made no such call. Weatherbys agreed to check the calls and said that once they had looked into the matter they would call the yard and tell me what they had found.

After an anxious wait the telephone rang and a lady explained how they had found the recording of the call to their office withdrawing my horse Lucia Santa. The recording was played back to me over the telephone and as I listened it was clear that the voice of the person withdrawing the horse was not mine. An imposter had called the office and taken my horse out of the race. The call had been a hoax.

It was agreed that the horse be reinstated.

At 7.10 that evening all twelve runners set off in the race. Two furlongs out Lionel took Lucia Santa to the front and there she stayed to pass the post a length and a half ahead of Sweet Aston, ridden by Willie McCaskill. The race had been won by a horse that hardly anyone had expected to take part.

Lucia Santa went on to win again, taking the 'Newlands 3yo Handicap' at Carlisle later the same month.