Racing

SAVING IGLOO

The film, Saving Private Ryan, is a dramatic World War 2 drama about the attempt, by a small group, to withdraw a last surviving son, of four, from the battlefield before he too perished like his brothers.

Less dramatic was the saving of Igloo but it is still of interest to racing aficionados and had its own pressures for retired Perth man, Lionel Dowler, then an experienced loss adjuster (assessor) in the insurance industry.

Foaled in 1967, Igloo, a handsome chestnut, by Arctic Explorer out of Silver Rod went on to win 16 of his 48 races.

He showed promise early running third at his first start before putting together a hat-trick of wins as a two year old. Resuming as a three year old he had four wins and in his following year won the Turnbull Stakes and Coongy Handicap at the start of his four year old campaign. Igloo then followed with three frustrating seconds, in the epic races, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup (1971) before finishing his four year old season with a win in the Christmas Cup.

The 1972 Perth Cup, then richer than the Melbourne Cup, (for that one year), was a drawcard and Igloo was highly fancied to atone in that race.

But only days before, the then 3200m feature WA race, he broke down in training, severely damaging both forelegs.

The much travelled South African born, Lionel Dowler, who came to Perth in 1971 after working in his homeland, then Canada and the UK, remembers Igloo well.

“When I arrived I did not know anything about the Melbourne Cup, or its importance in Australia’s life. My secretary said everyone had a bet so I randomly chose Igloo, each-way, and because he came second I had some small winnings on him. When he came to Perth, shortly after, he became odds-on to win the Perth Cup until his unfortunate break down. That was when I received a call from the insurance broker of the horse’s owner (Mrs Tippett), who had been authorised by Lloyds Underwriters to appoint me to deal with the matter.”

Dowler was advised that three veterinary surgeons had advised that the horse be put down and that the owner, somewhat hysterically, was demanding that this be done immediately.

The broker advised that all the Perth assessor had to do was see the horse, read the vet report, sign the death warrant and the claim would be paid!

But Lionel Dowler baulked.”The insurance policy covered only death or humane destruction and I determined that if the latter course was going to be carried out it had to be on the advice of a vet appointed by the underwriters. At that stage I discovered that only one vet had seen the horse and he had not taken any X-rays but had merely felt the horse’s legs, noted he was in pain and consulted, by phone, with two colleagues in Melbourne.”

It was again his secretary that gave him advice. “She contacted racing friends who knew of a highly respected horse vet, James Forbes, so I contacted him and apprised him of the urgency of the situation. He met me immediately at Bob Burn’s stable where Igloo was based.”

Forbes bought with him a portable X-ray machine and had them developed at a nearby clinic. The X-rays showed no sign of bone fractures and the injuries were confined to ligamentous and soft tissue damage. “In other words the horse could be cured and the pain controlled while healing was taking place,” Dowler recalled.

“Whether he could race again was unknown at that stage but he would live and operate comfortably and so humane destruction was not an option and I was determined, on Forbes’ advice, not to be a party to that.”

Although not a racing man  Dowler had ridden in hunts and was at one stage getting ready to do some show jumping, in South Africa, on a friend’s horse, called Boswell, when the jumper died a couple of weeks before they were going to compete.

A self described animal lover it was no cynical attempt to save money on a claim.

In fact, the attempt to give Igloo a chance made things difficult for Lionel because there was no industry resistance to paying out the $50,000 to the wealthy owner, Mrs Tippett.

“I don’t think it was the money that annoyed her it was just that she had been denied by some upstart loss adjuster getting in the way. I certainly received abusive phone calls from people purporting to be in the racing industry after the media kept banging on about Igloo’s excruciating pain. A complaint was lodged with the RSPCA but they found that the horse was being properly and humanely cared for. In fact Bob Burn’s and his staff were doing an admirable job and there was improvement in Igloo’s condition in those early days.”

Lionel said to Mrs Tippett, that as the owner, she had the right to have the horse put down but because he did not think that such action was warranted he would not be recommending the underwriters pay out.

 Dowler, did not know it then but he was about to be spectacularly vindicated in the future.

However, given the claim situation, as a compromise, the brokers and underwriters considered that Forbes-Dowler decision should be checked by the redoubtable Percy Sykes, the foremost equine doctor in Australia, someone who had professional dealings with Tommy Smith, the trainer of Igloo.

Sykes had checked Igloo out before Mrs Tippett purchased him and was certainly accepted by all parties.

“I was charged with finding the holidaying vet and I tracked him down to Noumea. For a healthy fee Sykes said he would exam the horse and also stipulated he be found a hotel “far enough away from the Tippett woman.”

“He duly arrived and we spirited him away from the media whisking him off to Bob Burn’s stables. After he examined the horse the great man said, “what is all the fuss about, he is going to be fine?”

Indeed, Igloo was fine, not only to keep on living but eventually fit enough to return to racing, as a six year old, after being left to mend at Len Pike’s Baldivis property following the Sykes pronouncement. Igloo’s stay with Pike was arranged by Marjorie Charleson, the public relations of the WA Turf Club. There he walked to the beach, swam and recovered under that fresh air, salt water regime.

In 1974 Igloo returned to the track and recorded victories in the following quality races: Castlereagh Handicap, Chipping Norton Stakes, Autumn Stakes, Brisbane Cup and Caulfield Stakes. He was third or fourth in another five races in his final season.

So the fate of a horse hinged on the fact that because an ex- South African  globe trotter, born in  October1931, moved to Perth in 1971, through his employment, and thought the attempted rush to judgment  was too hasty.

“Essentially I bought Igloo time and James Forbes and Percy Sykes did the rest,” Lionel said

“In the process I had annoyed the biggest broking house in the world and I had spent a great deal of time on a matter that was not covered by any great fee. I wondered at the time whether doing the right thing and sticking to principles was worth the effort. I hoped Igloo enjoyed the rest of his life.”

It was worthwhile and Igloo did go on to enjoy a productive life.

(This story will appear in Sunspeed  magazine, Summer 2018)