Judge acting Judge Colin Charteris signaled the pair may avoid jail, but warned the sentence would be one of general deterrence for those in the industry.

When: August 19, 1984

Scam: Ring-in; Bold Personality runs in Fine Cotton's place.

Where: Commerce Novice (Second division) 1500m handicap, Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane.

Who was embroiled: Racing identities Robbie and Bill Waterhouse, syndicate head John Gillespie, trainer Hayden Haitana, and Tommaso Di Luzio.

Penalty: Banned for life, jail terms.

How it went down:

A syndicate said to be owned by former bloodstock agent John Gillespie, which owned poor-form runner Fine Cotton, purchased Dancing Solitaire, a starter almost identical in appearance to Fine Cotton, with the intent to switch out Fine Cotton for the better performing starter to run in the restricted handicap. Dancing Solitaire was injured and unable to run in the Eagle Farm race, prompted the conspirators to substitute in Bold Personality, an open-class horse several grades above Fine Cotton.

Different colours and markings on the two runners presented a challenge. Bold Personality, a seven-year-old bay gelding with no markings would have to be made to look like Fine Cotton, an eight-year-old brown gelding with white markings on his hind legs. Reports say conspirators used white paint, peroxide, and hair dye to disguise the ring-in runner.

Fine Cotton's poor form had the runner listed at 33-1 odds with little chance of winning, but as betting got underway a torrent of investments on the fixed horse from around the nation eventually set the stakes at 7/2 ($4.50).

Suspicions were inflamed among spectators as Fine Cotton/Bold Personality returned to the scales, reportedly with running dye on his legs.

Thirty years after the event, family racing establishment head Pat Carey recalled the tensions on race day.

Soon after a thorough investigation was commenced and immediately the scandal pointed to the Waterhouses, Robbie and his father Bill. Ultimately the pair and seven others were "warned off" by the Queensland Turf Club. Robbie Waterhouse had all conditions removed in April 2001.

When: May 21, 1955

Scam: Electrified riding whip

Where: First Claredon Transition Handicap, Morphettville, South Australia

Who was embroiled: Jockey Lindsay "Bill" Attrill, bookmaker Lyall Jenkins, owner Henry Irvine, trainer Noel Conway.

Penalty: 10-year ban

How it went down:

Like Fine Cotton, Thundering Legion was a poor-performing runner staked at 33-1 odds until betting skyrocketed before the Claredon Handicap in 1955. Stewards became suspicious of the changing odds, which had the horse staked as 6-1 odds before running at 7-1, and confronted jockey Bill Attrill.

According to reports, when race steward Fred Everest grabbed Attrill's riding whip he received an electric shock.

The whip was electrified using a battery.

Attrill was replaced in the running by jockey Des Coleman.

Reports say when Coleman raised his un-electrified whip the horse bolted ahead to win in a photo finish.

In the following inquiry, Attrill admitted to using an electrified on other horses and was banned for 10 years.

Lyall Jenkins, Henry Irvine, and Noel Conway were also embroiled in the scam but pleaded not-guilty after they were extradited to South Australia to face courts.

During the trial, it was alleged Attrill was promised £1000 for his part, and that the betting plunge amounted to nearly £4000 with bookies paying out more than £30,000.

Known racing identity Frank Russell reportedly made a substantial pile on the fixed runner and was banned for five years.

When: Cranbourne, Melbourne

Scam: Murder, race fixing, and money laundering

Who was embroiled: Jockeys Danny Nikolic and Mark Zahra, trainer Les Samba (deceased).

Penalty: No charges laid

How it went down:

Australian racehorse trainer Les Samba was in Melbourne on February 26, 2011, for the Inglis Yearling sales. On February 27, Samba was gunned down at Middle Park, south of the Melbourn CBD, after reportedly leaving Crown Metropol Hotel.

Victoria police took up the investigation, later believing the slaying was ordered by an international organised crime syndicate, according to reports in 2015.

As investigations continued, organised crime detectives uncovered links to race fixing and money laundering through several races in 2011 and 2012.

According to reports from the ABC, the allegations of race fixing embroiled jockey Danny Nikolic who, it was alleged, conspired with other well-known industry figures to fix the outcome of a race at Cranbourne in 2011 involving the horse Smoking Aces.

There were claims the suspected fix returned up to $200,000 to the participants.Detectives from the Purana taskforce were also looking into several other allegations of race fixing, money laundering and tax fraud.

Police later dropped the case after completing "a thorough investigation of the matter" and no charges were laid.

When: Last recorded 'official' run was in Sydney, 1933

Scam: Ring-in: winning horse racks up at least a dozen 'unofficial' wins

Where: Murray Bridge, South Australia

Who was embroiled: Owner/trainer Charlie Prince

Penalty: Two years jail, lifetime ban.

How it went down:

The 1930s galloper Erbie had a memorable official record of 23 wins, but the starter can also lay claim to an unknown number of unofficial victories after running under a suite of pseudonyms before being exposed in South Australia in 1934.

Racing historians have dubbed Erbie the Run-in King after Erbie's official career ended in Syndey in 1933, but had several unofficial outings as Duke Bombita and Chrysbean, among other names, until he was outed standing in for heavily-backed poor-performer Redlock at Murray Bridge in 1934.

Stewards were tipped off to Prince's scam but were almost thrown off the hunt after the trainer produced a receipt of Redlock's purchase.

Racing scribe Bert Wolfe was not convinced and followed Redlock to Kadina were the runner won by 12 lengths. After asking to inspect the horse, he found dye had been used to conceal Erbie's unique white blaze. Prince was said to pocket £1000 from the Murray Bridge fix.

Erbie was impounded until Redlock was later found in a paddock at Malmsbury. Prince was arrested and jailed for two years on fraud charges. His lifetime ban was later lifted.

When: May 12, 1972

Where: Muntham Handicap, Casterton, Victoria

Who was embroiled: Used car dealer and racing aficionado Rick Renzella

Penalty: Two years jail

How it went down:

If Fine Cotton was the comically bungled ring-in in Australian racing history, Regal Vista was the deceptive master plan.

The plan to substitute Regal Vista for the poor-performing Royal School was engineered by Rick Renzella, who received a financial result and two years jail for the fix.

While punters were quiet trackside, later rumours sparked an investigation after Royal School/Regal Vista ran to a 4-1 odds win in the Muntham handicap, falling from 50-1 odds fuelling suspicions in the betting ring.

According to reports, the horses were almost identical with only one telling feature to separate them. Regal Vista had a large scar on his near-side rump.

Ranzella bought the poor-performing Royal School, which ran to unimpressive results in Victoria, before he found the perfect stand-in. Regal Vista had an impressive record for which Ranzella reportedly bartered to pay $6000 on delivery and $3500 when he won his first race. Royal School, by comparison, cost $350.  

Jockey Steve Wood reportedly tried to keep Regal Vista under wraps in the race, but the higher performing horse ran away with a three-length win.

Ranzella reportedly made a $33,600 killing on the fixes race and when Royal School was impounded and Regal Vista could not be found, he offered a $2000 reward for information on the scam horse's whereabouts.

The owner took out writs against the stewards. But evidence built up and stewards charged him. Regal Vista was produced as a witness for Ranzella but to no avail.

QC and author Philip Opas later said: