RACEHORSE CROUPIER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 120, 21 April 1932, Page 2

RACEHORSE CROUPIER

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND April The Supreme C?«rt action waß mine the ownership of C P continued to-day The p < > t j je Corry, said that the dispute an( j ownership began in J line > 1931 ’ t j ia t it was not until October ° f If y“ b i s he charged up training f d je( j ledger. Cross-examined, he aen that the horse was very tired after race at Iticaarton. Counsel for defendant said t„ their case was quite sun P ' n January of 1930, the Messrs Paterson, because of the slump, decided i v most of their horses, keeping onD Surveyor, Full Measure and Croupier, who was then a colt. He was sa fied the colt was worth trying out, but having announced that they giving up racing tlier could not J well run him themselves.- They therefore sent him to Blenheim to trained and tried out. After ni first win thev wrote to Mr Corry. “Let us know'how we stand and wnar we owe you.” This did not coincide with the suggestion that Groupie had been given away. It was no until the horse was beginning to prove a good one that there was any suggestion from Mr Corry that he regarded the horse as his. After the Wellington meeting they wired for their share of the winnings, but got n 0 sa f" isfaction. When further efforts proved fruitless they had no option but to seize the horse. It was found that the horse had been over-raced, and expert testimony would be called to this effect. , John Paterson, one of the defendants, said he asked Mr Corry to bid at tho sale because if he (Mr Paterson) made bids it would stop others. Ho thought Croupier promised well. He asked Mr Corry to take charge of him and keep a record of what witness would owe on account of the co t s keep and training. When Croupier was brought back to Auckland he was not in a bad condition, but w r as very tired and unsound in tire off forelegThere would have been no chance of fitting him for the Auckland summer meeting. He was now in training once more. Cross-examined, he denied that Mr Corry continually claimed an interest in the horse as well as a share of the stakes. The fifty-fifty agreement about winnings would have been all right if Mr Corry had paid, but he did not pay. Frederick Smith, lrorse trainer, formerly acting for defendants, said that Croupier had always been a nicelooking colt. “It is an absolute lie! cried witness when asked about the evidence that the colt was in poor condition.

James Paterson, one of the defendants, said he had been -a half-owner in Croupier with his brother. He had never authorised his brother to sell or to give an interest in Croupier. Herbert Wilson Collins, bush contractor, described how he had got possession of Croupier , at Christchurch. Acting under Messrs Paterson’s instructions, witness asked Mr Corry for the money and the horse. Mr Paterson said that about £6OO was owing by Mr Corry, but Mr Corry worked it out at about £3OO. Mr Corry said that he would not give him all that, but lie gave him a promissory note for £l5O. Croupier looked very sore and not fit to race before his last race. He put a cover on the horse when he got him outside the gate and looked after him well on the way to Auckland. Witness warned Mr Corry. before he got the promissory note from him that he had come from Auckland to get the horse. He thought Mr Corry would give it to him. A demand was made on him in Wellington for the horse, but he refused to give him up. Counsel for the defence said that there was a partnership as far as stakes were concerned. There was no corroboration, he said, of plaintiff’s claim that the horse was originally a gift to him. The partnership document had nothing to do with the horse itself, but only with the running and the stakes of the horse. His Honour Sir Alexander Herdman said that a difficult question was whether anv agreement embraced the horse as well as the winnings. Counsel for plaintiff said that the joint ownership agreement showed that a definite . arrangement had been come to for the sharing both of the horse and of the winnings. His Honour reserved his decision.