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RACING Victoria (RV) has furthered its extensive commitment to manage and protect the integrity of Victoria’s thoroughbred racing industry with a series of enhancements announced today.
RV’s Compliance Assurance Team, which oversees investigations, stable raids, bet monitoring and out-of-competition testing, will be boosted with an additional two full-time members.
“Deterrence and detection are the platforms of our integrity program and the additional stewards will ensure an even greater presence in the field.” said RV Chief Executive, Bernard Saundry.
“The employment process has commenced and will build upon the success of the team during the Spring Racing Carnival.”
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ROB Hines ended his erm as Racing Victoria Chief Executive at today’s annual general meeting. Chairman Michael Duffy paid tribute to his service and welcomed in-coming CEO Bernard Saundry.
The latest of the Racing Victoria News Bulletin also reports on the appearance of apprentice Harry Coffey at Saturday’s Cystic Fibrosis race meeting at Caulfield. He is a sufferer of the disease.
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JOCKEY Danny Nikolic was accused of being "seriously out of control" when he made alleged intimidating and provocative comments to a steward outside his appeal hearing.
PATRICK BARTLEY reports for the MELBOURNE AGE that Phillip Dunn, QC, representing Racing Victoria said that Nikolic said made ‘‘gun sounds’’ as he walked passed Tasmanian-based steward Wade Hadley during Thursday’s hearing.
Dunn alleged that Nikolic had sat next to Hadley during a break in proceedings and said ‘‘you’re going up in the world, aren’t you’’ while Hadley did not respond Nikolic allegedly then said ‘‘I think you’re going up in the world, let’s see where you end up.’’
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MY Quest for Peace has failed to secure an invite to contest the G1 Hong Kong International Vase and will be transferred from Luca Cumani to remain in Australia with Peter Moody.
The Racing Victoria News Bulletin today also reveals that brilliant sprinter Hay List is unlikely to be forward enough to contest the Melbourne Festival of Racing early next year.
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THE case against Danny Nikolic took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when the jockey was labelled a ''petulant and childish'' man who would ''cheerfully lie'' to gain an advantage, after admitting he had lied at a previous hearing.
PATRICK BARTLEY reports in the MELBOURNE AGE that Nikolic told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal that he had ''cleaned up'' earlier evidence that he had given to the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board about the language he had used towards Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey.
Nikolic said he had told his legal team on Sunday that he had changed his evidence from the first hearing, and in fact had abused Bailey by saying ''you are a f------ grub'' and ''a c--- of a thing'' during a race meeting at Seymour on September 4.
The jockey is appealing against a two-year disqualification handed down by the RAD Board after he was found guilty of threatening Bailey.
Phil Dunn, QC, for RVL, grilled Nikolic for nearly two hours on Wednesday, asking him to explain to Judge Michael Macnamara what was a lie and what was not. He then accused Nikolic of trying to con the judge.
Dunn: ''You are a liar when you think you'll get some advantage out of it.''
Nikolic: ''I told a lie because I cleaned up my language for the RAD Board. I simply cleaned up my language.''
Dunn then quizzed Nikolic about the hours after the incident at Seymour. ''Which version of events did you give the media? And did you ring the media or did the media ring you? Did you tell [the media] that Bailey was out to f--- up your career?''
Nikolic: ''No.''
Earlier, Nikolic told the hearing that police and stewards were investigating four races in which he rode in as part of a race-fixing probe.
He said that owners, trainers and other jockeys had been in touch with him about being questioned over certain races.
Nikolic said a race at Cranbourne involving Smoking Aces, a race at Caulfield won by Bolton, and two other races at Kyneton and Bendigo were under investigation.
''Trainers have been sent DVDs [of races] and asked to make statements,'' he said.
The VCAT hearing continues on Thursday.
■Former AFL player and racing personality Mark Hunter, the man commissioned by jockey Damien Oliver to place the $10,000 bet which was the catalyst for the rider to be disqualified and suspended by stewards earlier this month, says he no longer has any dealings with jockeys in Victoria.
Hunter said on Wednesday he had distanced himself from assisting jockeys.
"I used to help a few of them out with speed maps, but for quite a long time now - I don't know six, seven months, eight months - I haven't had contact with jockeys," he said.
Oliver commissioned Hunter to place the bet with a Queensland-based agent, who subsequently channelled the money through corporate bookmakers.
''I would give anything to wind back the clock, but unfortunately you can't wind back the clock," Hunter said.
''Yep, I played my part in it. It was wrong. It's caused a lot of people a lot of grief. If I could take it back and not have a part in it and it not happen, I would love to.
''Yes, I do regret my part in that role."
STORY SOURCE: MELBOURNE AGE – FAIRFAX MEDIA
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IN the latest edition of the Racing Victoria News Bulletin, apprentice Chad Schofield believes his riding future lies in Victoria and not in New South Wales.
Champion trainer Peter Moody is set to quickly put the spring carnival behind him with a big team of 12 entered for Saturday's Cystic Fibrosis Race Day at Caulfield.
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AUSTRALIAN Jockeys' Association chief executive Paul Innes has declared that "the gloves are off" in a dispute over superannuation on riding fees that could cost the racing industry $40 million-plus.
Fairfax revealed on Melbourne Cup day that jockeys were chasing the superannuation guarantee, which could be backdated to 1992, but Innes said yesterday the AJA had received a curt response from the Australian Racing Board about the issue.
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EXCEPTIONALLY will chase a consolation feature win for the Victorian spring in Sunday's Ballarat Cup.
In other news in the Victorian Bulletin Yosei has headed west for the Railway Stakes and the News Limited boss is the headline speaker for the Australian Racing Conference in February.
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TODAY'S Victorian RACING NEWS reports that SHENZHOU STEEDS gets what trainer Mike Moroney regards as his favorite trip in Sunday's Ballarat Cup.
In other news over 500 two-year-olds remain on contention for the first declarations of the Blue Diamond Stakes later this week.
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ANY jockey found guilty of betting in races will soon face a minimum riding ban of two years under proposed rule changes to be considered by the Australian Racing Board today.
RAY THOMAS reports in the SYDNEY TELEGRAPH that In the wake of the Damien Oliver betting scandal, it is believed Racing NSW is behind a push to introduce harsher minimum penalties for serious rule breaches.
This week, Oliver was given what has widely been considered a lenient 10-month disqualification after admitting to placing a $10,000 bet on a rival horse in a race in which he rode.
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