OWNER DISQUALIFIED

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 May 1943, Page 3

OWNER DISQUALIFIED

AND FINED £lOO

CHRISTCHURCH, May 16.

The board of the New Zealand Trotting Association, at its meeting this evening, disqualified for five years B. C. Lee, of Timaru, owner of Premier Royal. Lee was also fined £lOO, and all horses owned by him were disqualified for five years.

An official statement issued after the meeting ss cl: “At a meeting of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association B. C. Lee was dis qualified for five years and fined £lOO, and all horses owned by him were also disqualified for five years. Lee was charged that being the owner of the horse Premier Royal, he corruptly entered into an arrangement with T. H. Gunning, the trainer of the said horse, that the said horse should not be a tjer in the Otipua Handicap at the South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting on April .10. 1943, such an arrangement being detrimental to the interests of trotting. That he was at the said meeting guilty of misconduct inasmuch as he assaulted the said T. H. Gunning."

The trotting trainer and driver, T. H. Gunning, of Oamaru. was disquaiilied lor live years by the board

of the New Zealand Trotting Association on April 26 for corrupt practice. The charge was: “That being

engaged to drive the hor.se Premier Royal, belonging to ,B. C. Lee, in the Otipua Handicap at the South Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting at Washdyke on April .10, 1943, you corruptly entered into an arrangement with the saßi B. C. Lee that you Avould pull the said horse in the said race and prevent it from winning.” A similar charge was heard against B. C. Lee ; tire owner of Premier Royal, which won the Otipua Trot al the Timaru meeting. In the Lee case the board reserved its decisiion.