Information on Prince monalooloo, famous figure at the Epsom racecource in the 30's/40's?

Question

Prince monalooloo was a bookey, he was Afrocaribean in origin and wore an outlandish costume including a simulated grass skirt made of race tickets. He used to walk around calling out:"I got a horse, I got a horse." Any pictures or information would be a help for my research.

Answer 1

Try these links:

http://www.communigate.co.uk/ryedale/car...

http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/resul...

http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/resul...

http://baffledspirit.blogspot.com/2007/0...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Mono...

Answer 2

I remember this man very well having seen him many times.  I have never been to the race course at Epsom and when I saw him it was in Bromley in Kent. In my opinion he was not a bookey, but a tipster. You are so right he did walk around calling out "I got a horse".  Sorry no photograph: in those days you was lucky if you had a brownie box camera

Answer 3

You can buy a book from the links below (fairly expensive) called "I Gotta Horse" : The Autobiography of Ras Prince Monolulu by Ras Prince (as told to Sidney H. White)

http://www.biblio.com/cart.php?add=1&bid...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gotta-Horse-Auto...

Publisher: London; Hurst & Blackett, undated, c.1955, hardback, 8vo, 184pp, illustrated, 15 photo plates, (1955)

ASIN: B0011D8X2M

Answer 4

Funny you should ask that as I was looking at my 1948 annual

results book in connection with another Q when I saw his advert. There is a picture of him, the size of a passport photo.His address was 83-85 Cleveland Mansions, Cleveland St London W1. My brother and I actually met him at Cheltenham as he was staying for 3 nights in the same hotel and he asked us every morning at breakfast if we knew any winners. I should be surprised if Ras Prince Monolulu was ever a bookmaker. Apart from "I gotta horse" he also used to say "Win bet bookie, place bet Totalisator. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, Hurrah for good old England."  I cannot remember the exact year I met him but it was probably 1964. Although Wikipaedia says he died on 14 Feb 1965 his obituary appeared in the Daily Telegraph of that day.