FIVE YEARS’ DISQUALIFICATION

Evening Star, Issue 20060, 28 December 1928, Page 4

FIVE YEARS’ DISQUALIFICATION

[Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, December 27. The New Zealand Racing Conference supplies the following in connection with the appeal ol the racecourse inspector (Mr F. Cullen) against the decision of the Auckland District Committee given at an inquiry held by the Auckland District Committee on September 27, 1928, into the ownership of the lior.se Cherry Ripe, and the alleged partnership therein of Dr C. C. Murphy and W. Ryan (deceased), which decision was as follows:—That, although there arc suspicious circumstances connected with the case, in the opinion of the majority of the members of the committee the evidence is conflicting, and is insufficient to warrant any action being taken. The judgment of the conference was as follows; •‘This is an appeal from the decision of the Auckland District Committee, which decision is sot outabove. The substance of the charge against Dr Murphy was that, in May, 1922, he became a partner with William Ryan, bookmaker, in the horse Cherry Ripe, and in the subsequent racing of the horse- in Australia and in New Zealand. The horse was raced in 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. Murphy asserted that he had bought the horse from Ryan in May, 1922, and that after that date Ryan had no interest in the horse. At a thorough and excellently conducted inquiry held bv the Auckland District Committee a majority of the committee decided that the j charge against Murphy was not proved. We regret that we are unable to accept Murphy’s explanation of his connection with the horse and his relationship with Ryan, and are unable to agree with the majority decision of the Auckland District Committee. In our opinion the charge against Murphy was conclusively established, strengthened as it was by his own statement and conduct. The offence was a serious and deliberate one, and continued over a period of years, and Murphy, as the steward of a jockey club, was under a special duty to obey the Rules of Racing. The appeal is therefore allowed. Murphy is convicted of corrupt, practice under the Rules of Racing Part XXXJL, rule 1, clauses c and j, and is disqualified for live years from this date.—(Signed) A. E. Donnelly, J. { S. Marrell, TV.; M‘A. Duncan, judges. Auckland, December 27, 1928.”