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Champion horse trainer Paul Moroney has had a tyre slashed, but he does not believe it was by someone angry that he potted popular Racing Minister Winston Peters.
Mr Moroney said he found one tyre punctured with a sharp instrument when he arrived early at the Matamata racetrack.
The trainer had feared a backlash from the racing community after he provided a sworn affidavit to Parliament's privileges committee to back up Owen Glenn's claim that Mr Peters thanked the Monaco-based billionaire at the Karaka yearling sales for a $100,000 donation.
But Mr Moroney believed the tyre was damaged in relation to a minor work-related dispute within the Matamata racing community.
"I don't think anyone could be angry enough to come down to the track at 4am and slash my tyre," the Matamata trainer said.
He said he had actually had a lot of support for the stand he took.
He had not had any backlash and, he said, he had not lost any customers.
"I've actually gained a couple of horses from this."