The troubles facing the Supreme Horse Racing Club escalated over the weekend, when its recent sale of the classy hurdler Listen Dear became the subject of a formal dispute. A letter of claim has been sent to the Goffs auction house, where Listen Dear was sold for £38,000 last month, asserting that owners of a majority stake in the mare did not consent to her sale.
The letter, addressed to Goffs chief executive Henry Beeby and seen by the Guardian, was sent by Paul Laidler, a former member of Supreme who has used social media to voice his concerns about the way the club has been run. In it Laidler lists 13 people whose shares, he says, account for 61% of Listen Dear; he adds that none of them consented to her sale and that some were never told she was to be offered for sale.
“Listen Dear was not the property of the vendor to sell,” Laidler writes. “We consider the sale to be illegal … The police authorities in the UK and Ireland have been informed and we are in the process of instructing a solicitor.”
Beeby, currently attending an auction in Kentucky, said he could not comment. However, Goffs’ conditions of sale, published online, allow the firm to withhold payment to a vendor if a third party makes a claim in relation to any lot. In practice it is believed the firm would not seek to arbitrate over any such dispute but would simply sit on the money until the parties resolve the matter between themselves, through the courts or otherwise.
Supreme is currently unable to make any entries for its 29 horses, its account having been frozen by the Irish regulator, Horse Racing Ireland. HRI took that action a fortnight ago when those behind Supreme failed to answer its concerns over the club’s management.
There is still no indication as to when those horses may be free to run, including Kemboy, who remains the 13-2 favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Willie Mullins, who trains the Supreme horses, suggested last week that its problems arose because the club had got too big for Massey to manage. “He possibly just needs a little bit of help sorting the whole thing out,” the trainer said. “There’s a lot of paperwork that needs to be caught up on, that’s my understanding on the whole thing.”
Steve Massey and Jim Balfry, who run Supreme, have not yet spoken in public about the dispute and did not take phone calls on Monday. The club’s voicemail service says it is full and can take no more messages.
Southwell 1.00 Bajan Excell 1.30 Tranquil Storm 2.00 Shellebeau 2.30 Young Tiger 3.00 Astrozone 3.30 Millicent Fawcett 4.05 Keith
Exeter 1.10 Cat Tiger 1.40 Eritage 2.10 Charbel (nap) 2.40 Commodore Barry 3.10 Perfect Candidate (nb) 3.40 Guardia Top 4.15 Sandy Top
Kempton 4.40 Purple Paddy 5.10 First Receiver 5.40 Divine Connection 6.10 Last Date 6.40 Velvet Morn 7.10 Busby 7.40 Thresholdofadream 8.10 Long Call
