ALLEGED RINGING-IN OF HORSE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 16 July 1929, Page 5

ALLEGED RINGING-IN OF HORSE

IMPERIAL TiIROPE—BRUCE CASE H» T«la«r»Dh—Fr«iM AaaocUtioß) CHRISTCIIURCH, This Day. The hearing of a case of alleged ring-ing-in, in which Leslie Holland, aged 28 years, horse trainer, of Invercargill, and Samuel Bates, aged 36 years, a horse trainer of Orari, are concerned began this morning. The original charge concerned alleged attempted fraud at the Canterbury Park Trotting Meeting on 3rd June by representing that the trotting horse Imperial Thorpe was not identical with Bruce. Seven other charges were preferred alleging ringing-in at the Ashburton, Gore, Winton, Invercargill, and Oamaru meetings. Two "other men, Thomas Dowler, a saddler, ar.d William Miller, alias Kerr, were added to the accused, but the police stated that Miller had not yet been arrested. Chief Detective Carroll said that a man named E. J. Smith advertised the horse Bruce for sale in July, 1928, and a man named Miller bought it for £IOO. His signature was witnessed by another of accused. "From then on Bruce disappeared," said the Chief Detective, "but a little after that Bates secured the registration of Imperial Thorpe. Imperial Thorpe was trained by Holland. Sometimes Holland rode it and sometimes Bates. "Imperial Thorpe was seven times in the money, and it is in respect of these occasions that the prosecutions are laid. The stake monev secured was over £4OO. ''Doubt was raised in the minds of the stewards, and the horse was identified as Bruce and impounded. "Bruce was a very fast horse. It's time for a mile was 2.11. Imperial Thorpe was represented to be a maiden, and was given a much easier handicap than would have been given to Bruce. That is probably why it won so much." Accused Dowling belonged t» Timaru. Evidence identifying Imperial Thorpe with Bruce was given bv E. J- Smith, former part owner of Bruce, who described the sale to a man calling himself Miller, and identified the horse in the yard as Bruce. Another witness also identified the horse.