The racecourse thieves

How thieves including Flying Gibb and Dicky Drag earned their spurs as 'ticket snatchers' and 'rampers' at the horse racing in Manchester

The thieves who used Victorian racecourses as their hunting grounds were notorious villains who could strip a rich man of his valuables in the time it took the starter pistol to fire.

Men like Brocky Kelly, Dicky Drag, Flying Gibb and Keough the Stall operated in well-drilled gangs — planning their attacks with such precision they could empty their victi…