HORSE OWNER SUED

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20832, 16 June 1939, Page 8

HORSE OWNER SUED

CASE IN MORRINBVILLE GOST OF TRAINING TROTTERS (Special to Times) MORRINSVILLE, Thursday A civil action of considerable interest to followers of the sport of trotting in the Waikato occupied the attention of Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., for three hours in the Magistrate’s Court, Morrinsville, this afternoon. The case was one in which William John Eynon, of Morrinsville, an owner ol’ trotting horses, claimed £42 9s 9d from W. G. Greaves, of Morrinsville, and M. G. Hewitt, of Cambridge, being the balance of training fees and expenses incurred in respect of a trotting horse, Nerehana, allegedly owned by defendants. Eynon also claimed £l7 6s from Greaves in respect of a trotting horse, Blandford, and for grazing of certain cows.

Plaintiff was represented by Mr P. G. Harkness, of Hamilton, and defendants by Mr N. S. Barrott, of Morrinsville.

Eynon gave evidence that he was not a public trainer, hut owned and trained certain trotting horses at Morrinsville. In September, 1937, Greaves asked him to take charge of a horse. Nerehana, until a public trainer in Hamilton named Vernall had a vacancy in his stable for the horse. He looked after Nerehana until February and in the meantime the horse won a race at the Auckland Christmas meeting, and was second in a saddle event at the February meeting, •winning in all stakes totalling £lB5. Greaves paid him £3O in January and £37 in February for expenses. The balance outstanding was to have been settled by arbitration, hut this was never done.

Greaves had also invited him to look after a second horse named BJandford. This he did for five weeks, on the understanding that if he found it was good enough to win a race Greaves would transfer it to him. He had intended starting Blandford at the Thames meeting in April. However Greaves took both horses away from him in. February.

The Hamilton Trainer, Vernall, who had previously trained Nerehana, was called to give evidence as to the usual fees charged by trotting trainers in the Waikato.

In summing up, the magistrates said that although Nerehana had raced in the name of Hewitt, there was nothing to show that Hewitt had had any dealings with Eynon. The case against Hewitt should be dismissed.

Judgment was given against Greaves for £l7 19s 9d on the first claim, and for £7 10s on the second claim. Costs were allowed on both claims. The magistrate said he had assessed the amount due to Eynon according to the evidence given as to the cost of feeding and looking after trotting horses.