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)
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