Aussie punters from the past. Any one remember/know these

Dookums was ballarat based. held a bookies licence for a period i believe.

Pat Cummings was a big punter when Bart was in his prime. One story i heard concerned a maiden at Werribee midweek. As it was told to me, Pat approached Reg Kennedy and asked for an even 2000 (may have been pounds ?). Reg at his glorious best suggested he should remove his skirt and have a decent bet. Pat then asked for an even 50,000..which was accepted. An extraordinary bet at the time. Horse ran second to a first starter which went on to be a superstar (may have been Gay Icuras??).

The gent who told me the story was a big punter himself, and intoduced it with the question..who was the biggest punter..Reg or Pat.

The FILLIPINO FIREBIRD,FELIPE YSMAEL, Got Bill Waterhouse for a stack backing TOBIN BRONZE in the Toorak 60K - 96K, he was losing 90k up till that stage and back in mid sixties that was HEAPS, of couse the horse won,but it didnt help Mr Ysmael with his way as he was dissqualfied for alleged impropriorities with his horse FOLLOW ME...I can recall hearing on the Radio ,The Firebird has lit up the Ring once more......glgz

yeah i broke in and educated most of those horses,
YSMAEL owned , that charlie waymouth trained,
at mentone.
(olive grove stables.).
romantic miss, always there, follow me , hildegarde.......
cant remember them all now.........heaps of top babies.
great days.
there was NO RORT .......follow me..........
WAS A STEWARDS STICH UP !

sure did..lots of stories behind the YSMAEL/ waymouth
patnership..........one day, maybe.

Was there a connection between Dick Roden and Ysmael. I saw a great Roden prepared galloper Divide and Rule win a Doomben Cup and I thought there was a connection. There was also a big plunge in Melbourne on
Red Diver which was owned by Ysmael. It was probably prepared by Charlie Waymouth.

what is interesting is, did these great punters/bookies come from money?
How many created fortunes from scratch through the punt/bookmaking and made a living off it from start to finish, as a life-long career, over time? No other jobs?

That is the true test of a great punter/bookie, sustained profit over time, not subsidised. I am sure there has been a few along the way, curious as to how many could have discipline do it

when FELIPE came overhere,
he built a FKG mansion just out side dandenong, in VIC.
" the fortress".........huge, had about 4 man eateating
dobermans, or rottweilers, running loose in the grounds.
he was a very generous guy, and we got on well........
wouldve hated NOT TOO.!

whoops wrong thread , sorry guys

Should have added this is the article (pdf format so a little slow to open). Its under the chapter the benevolent punter about page 16 or 18

they were amazing times alright ... bill w (the real bookie of the family) and filipe bet more just between themselves off course than ever went through the ring ...

and charlie had another top liner RP ... Always There ... was a cert in the derby if it got to the race ... then got home a head or a neck at about 2's lol

Apologies for only just reading this thread.
As a 24 year old lad I once drove Dookum Humphries to the city from Pakenham Races. His nickname was "Spitter", as he always spat small pieces of saliva on the ground. It was a very bad habit of his.
In the car this particular day I told him I was going to back a dog at Olympic Park, and told him it was a free ride concession. He replied, "listen son, you should only bet to win, therefore if you think this dog is a free ride concession, the better option was to back it to win the same ammount for the place. It is no good breaking even on a race when there is a win option. Advice accepted and I won my bet, the dog ran 3rd. at 4/1. Dookums was the most respected punter and hell of a good judge, and a gentleman to boot
Regarding Pat Cummings and Reg Kennedy, who was the most fearless bookie I have ever known, after the incident at Werribee that day, Cummings reported Kennedy to the stewards this day and he was stood down for two weeks.
One of the longest standing punters for almost forty years was Michael Pitt. Although he used to make a punters book, his annual turnover was astronomical, and hardly missed a race meeting. He owned a stocking business and was recognised as the hoisery king of australia.
Another big punter was "Paper Jack". He came on to the track almost unknown, and in a short period was terrorising bookmakers. Although only over a short period, he was a real dasher.
There was also a female punter who used to scare bookies with mammoth bets. Her name was Mabel Read, mother of Mark Read and sister to rails bookmaker D Sid Hill. She was a very good judge of horseform, (where Mark learnt) but her downfall was like all punters, not happy until they won the grandstand. She was fearless.
And at the dogs there was Clipboard Gerry, who had the knack of backing dogs which won, that even the trainers thought could not win.He was probably the legend of dog racing.
I could go on, Barry Long, Gary Roberts, Mike Faulkner, etc, but as a victorian I only read about interstate punters

Can you enlighten me on Nick D. I should know him but need more info. You probably remember Jim Neilsen the bookie, who at the time was the biggest, and had a run in with the committee or stewards, who then relegated him of the rails

Cannot put a face to the name, but doesn't mean I didn't know him. I knew almost everyone on the track and greyhounds for years. Most probably I know you.

I Used to work at all METRO dogs trots and races from the 72--90.
Working for bookies as a baggy/penciler.

I worked as a bagman at all venues from 65 till 2002. And a mad punter to boot.

Only a couple of times. Did you know ken wilson? Everyone knew him. I was his best mate

Ken and I were inseparable, so you must know me

Initials A.M.

Yes
I know you.
What ever happened tp Pauly K??