Gerald Fell fined for mix-up

Press, 21 May 1987, Page 30

Gerald Fell fined for mix-up

PA Palmerston North Longburn horse owner, Gerald Fell, accepts Tuesday’s New Zealand Racing Conference decision to fine him $4OO and $lOOO hearing costs after a mixup of horse names at the Woodville races in February.

Mr Fell, a part-owner, pleaded guilty to starting the officially registered Touch of Silver under another name, Precious Platinum. “It was a unique set of circumstances,” Mr Fell said yesterday. “It would be very unlikely to ever happen again. “I was just pleased to

see our trainer, Margaret Bull, was exonerated. As they said she was a ‘victim of circumstances’.” Bull was cleared of the charge of accepting Precious Platinum in the Maroondah Stud Handicap at Woodville on February 14 when it was not eligible to be entered.

Touch of Silver (the elder) and Precious Platinum are consecutive foals of the mare Silver Liner. It was intended that they be named the other way around, but due to a mixup their names were transcribed when applied to registration papers. Touch of Silver was

entered, as Precious Platinum, in the two-year-old race at Woodville, but drew the judicial committee’s attention when it was discovered her markings did not match those of her registration papers. Mr Fell, certain the horse was Precious Platinum, convinced the committee to let the horse race, saying the mistake must have occurred at the Racing Conference. The horse won the race but later the mistake was found to be Mr Fell’s. At Tuesday’s hearing Touch of Silver was disqualified from winning

the race. - But it has continued the good, if controversial, form it began with by subsequently winning a group three race at New Plymouth. It was now spelling and Mr Fell said hopes were high for its future success. The real Precious Platinum had just been broken in but there were no immediate plans to put her into training. As a result of the disqualification the Maroondah placings now are: Apache Brave 1, La Greta 2, Sound Gold 3, Taipolae 4.