Waterhouse, Bill

"Bill Waterhouse has worked the track for more than 70 years, his first day as a bookmaker in his own name was Epsom Day 1954. Henry Waterhouse, his ancestor, brought horses to Australia with the First Fleet . This family had no choice but to follow their destiny and become THE dynastic Australian horseracing family and we are now into the fourth generation of Waterhouse bookmakers. Bill was a practising barrister, albeit well-known at the track, and bookmaking was a side business until his brother, Charlie died suddenly and he 'temporarily' took the family bag to the track, at 85, he can still be found - with grandson Tom - trackside and still no one else can do the numbers as fast as Bill.

Bill was renowned for his exciting betting duals with giant punters such as Sir Frank Duval (the Hong Kong Tiger), Felipe Ysmael (The Babe) and Ray Hopkins (Hoppy). He wasn't frightened of the odds - taking the world's largest bet in 1968. He was billed by the media as the world's biggest gambler and was a regular visitor - taking the family with him in style - to Las Vegas. His life away from racing has been as large as that on the rails and he is ready to share it all. He has been the Consul-General of Tonga for many years and has business interests across the Pacific. You will be astounded by stories of how Premier Askin got re-elected, the prominent NSW characters who pencilled for Bill and yes, his real estate empire, the punting battles with Kerry Packer, the family law suit that took ten years and $10 million to resolve, and the real story of the Fine Cotton affair that saw Bill and his son Robbie banned from any involvement in racing for many years.

Bill Waterhouse is a true Australian character and he has all the story-telling charm and wiles to make this book a bestseller."

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