Peter Moody has quit the Australian Trainers’ Association (ATA) in the wake of Racing Victoria’s latest integrity measure.
RV stewards gave trainers until Friday to supply keys to their stables in order to provide unimpeded access during random visits as a way of countering the raceday treatment of horses.
Moody declared the move was a personal insult during a Melbourne radio interview on Tuesday.
“I actually feel like a criminal,” he told RSN.
“I feel they are looking at me as a cheat and (saying) `we’re going to catch you’.”
Moody resigned from the ATA committee because he felt the organisation put RV’s interests ahead of the needs of its members.
“I believe they are representing RVL and not the trainers but that’s my personal view,” Moody said.
The Caulfield-based Moody said chief steward Terry Bailey told him he was the only trainer to complain about the integrity initiative.
Moody said giving the stewards unrestricted access to his stable could lead to an abuse of power.
“Do I need to put security cameras up to watch the stewards come into my stables?” Moody asked.
“The stewards say they are only going to come in when people are present. How do I know that?”
ATA chief executive John Alducci confirmed the organisation only learned of the plan on Friday but he has been in constant discussion with Bailey in the lead-up to the deadline.
Alducci said stewards gave written assurances regarding stable entry at a meeting on Monday.
“We asked them to put in writing the parameters that they operate under when they enter stables and we got that,” Alducci said.
“The stewards have provided assurances they would only go into the stables when staff were there.”
Alducci said Bailey agreed stewards would immediately leave a stable if there were no staff on site.
The ATA board will release the stewards’ agreement to its members this week.
