Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 1 day 14 hours 58 minutes
The Fine Cotton Ring In was one of the biggest scandals in Australian horseracing history. A plan to swap a slow horse with a much faster look-alike involved a motley crew of small-time crooks, a couple of horses and a hell of a lot of hair dye. What were they thinking? Dig is a history podcast with a fresh take on an iconic story from Australia's not-so-glorious past.
Meet Hayden Haitana, the lovable, ever-so-slightly dodgy horse trainer who lands himself in Australia's biggest racing scandal. He's going straight, no more shortcuts to win. Until his brother introduces him to conman John Gillespie, and a horse called Fine Cotton.
A week out from race day disaster strikes. The fast horse meant to replace Fine Cotton is injured and his sub-in is the wrong colour. The creative solution? Multiple trips to the chemist and a long boozy night of applying women's hair dye to a horse.
By some sort of miracle, the horse (that vaguely looks like Fine Cotton) makes it to the barrier. At 33-1 odds, the gang looks set to make a motza, but suddenly everyone's in on the scam. The odds tumble as bets are placed on Fine Cotton to win from as far away as Sydney, Tasmania and even Papua New Guinea.
When the disqualification is announced, all hell breaks loose and the Gillespie crew scatter to the winds. Soon the failed ring-in is making headlines around the country. Hayden and Gillespie hatch a deal to spill the beans on Australia's biggest current affairs show: 60 Minutes.
In the wake of Haitana's television expose, new players enter the story — in particular, one dogged racing official determined to get beyond the denials and cover-ups.
Hayden Haitana has become the most well-known — and loved — fugitive in Australia. But the law finally catches up with him and the other culprits. But who's taking care of Fine Cotton? And who will be thrown under the bus?
When a Sydney gangster is gunned down, speculation is rife that he may have been the mastermind behind the Fine Cotton ring-in. But then, a surprise confession from a notorious bank robber and career criminal changes everything.
What happened to our hapless hero Hayden Haitana and his merry band of race fixers? Before we put our story to bed, there's one more mind-bending twist to consider: the Double Sting.