TURF SENSATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 547, 27 December 1928, Page 13

TURF SENSATION

OWNER DISQUALIFIED ALLEGED CORRUPT PRACTICE DR. MURPHY OUT FOR FIVE YEARS In the matter of the appeal by Race- j course Inspector I*'. Cullen against the decision of the Auckland District Com- j mittee, given at an inquiry held by ; the Auckland District Committee on \ September 27, 1925, into the owner- j ship of the horse Cherry Ripe, and j the alleged partnership therein of Dr. ! C. C. Murphy and W. Ryan, deceased, ! which decision was as follows: “That although there are suspicious circumstances connected with the case in the opinion of the majority of the committee, the evidence is conflicting and insufficient to warrant any action being taken.” “This is an appeal from a decision of the Auckland District Committee, which decision is set out above. The substance of the charge against Dr. C. C. Murphy was that in May, 1922, he became a partner with William Ryan, a bookmaker, in the horse Cherry Ripe, and in the subsequent racing of the horse in Australia and New Zealand. “The horse was raced in Dr. Murphy’s name and the partnership was established, so it was alleged, to enable Ryan to evade the prohibition in the Rules of Racing against a bookmaker owning or racing a horse. “Dr. Murphy asserted that lie bought the horse from Ryan in May, 1922, and that after that date Ryan had no interest in the horse. “At the thorough and excellently • conducted inquiry held by the Auckland District Committee, a majority of I the committee decided that the charge against Dr. Murphy was not proved. “We regret that we are unable to accept Dr. Murphy’s explanation of his connection with the horse, and his relationship with Ryan, and are unable to agyee with the majority decision of the Auckland District Committee. In our opinion, the charge against Dr. Murphy was conclusively established, strengthened as it was by his own statements and conduct. “The offence was serious and deliberate, and continued over a period of years, and Dr. Murphy, as a steward of a jockey club, was under a special duty to obey the rules of racing. “Tho appeal is therefore allowed. Dr. Murphy is convicted of a corrupt practice under the Rules of Racing, Part 32, Rule 1, clauses c and j, and is disqualified for five years from this date, December 27, 1928.” An echo of a recent inquiry into certain charges against Dr. C. C. Murphy, of Auckland, in connection with the (fitYry Ripe case, a horse which he owns that has been racing for some time in Australia, was heard at Auckland to-day, when the Racing Conference appeal judges dealt with an appeal against the decision of the Auckland District Committee lodged by Racecou:fje Inspector Cullan. The appeal was upheld, and Dr. Murphy disqualified for five years for alleged corrupt practice. The judgment was signed by Messrs. A. E. Donnelly, J. S. Barrett and W. McA. Duncan. The following is the full judgment: