Being deceived by a banned harness trainer has now been compounded by his part ownership of a horse that died while training.
William Wallace collapsed and died while exercising on Woodend Beach for trainer Robert Dunn on July 22, with Harness Racing New Zealand confirming he experienced “an unfortunate medical event.”
The four year-old had its last start at Methven in December 2020 with previous trainer Paul Kerr.
William Wallace was originally trained by Kerr’s son Mitchell, who took a break from the industry citing mental health grounds last November.
The Rangiora-based 29-year-old was subsequently banned for life by the Judicial Control Authority for Racing in April after duping up to 50 owners on both sides of the Tasman.
Lienert-Brown and Black Caps pace bowler Matt Henry were among connections caught up in Kerr’s illegalities, a elaborate scheme involving overselling of shares in horses and charging insurance premiums for non-existent policies.
Named after the Scottish knight portrayed by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart, William Wallace had 13 starts for four wins and four placings, which yielded $68,962 in stake money.
His last win was at Geraldine in November last year, the penultimate start of his career.
