A relieved trainer Ricky Maund has been fined $10,000 for raceday treatment of a horse but Victorian officials have warned he could be one of the last offenders to escape a stiffer penalty. Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said Maund could have “slipped through the break” as he predicted [...]
Impressive mare Conferre will be out to maintain a winning streak in the Ascend Handicap at Sandown on Wednesday. Conferre edged out Rock Robster by a slender margin at Moonee Valley two weeks ago – her third win in a row – and is poised to repeat the performance when [...]
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has vowed to return to the saddle after serving a 10-month ban for making a “spur-of-the-moment”, $10,000 bet on a rival horse in a race in which he rode two years ago. He has also asked for public forgiveness, declaring he has always given his mounts [...]
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has been disqualified for eight months after admitting to placing a $10,000 bet via a third party on a rival horse in a race in which he rode in 2010. Oliver has received a further two months suspension for using a mobile phone in the area [...]
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has admitted placing a bet via a third party named as well-known form analyst Mark Hunter. At Tuesday’s hearing in Melbourne an emotional Oliver read from a statement in a trembling voice as he told stewards that at the time of the offence in 2010 he [...]
Queensland trainer Nathan Schofield has lost his appeal against a 12-month disqualification for intending to treat a horse via a stomach tube on race day. Schofield had Beseech entered for the last race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day but the horse was forced to stay in his Geelong stable [...]
Phil Stokes has already achieved more than Melbourne’s two best trainers could with Eclair Surprise. He now plans to take things to a new level in the Group Three Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on Saturday. Originally trained by Peter Moody, Eclair Surprise rapidly revealed his potential, winning a Geelong [...]
Stewards have charged top Melbourne trainer Robert Smerdon following a raid on his stables on Caulfield Cup day. Stewards allege Smerdon allowed the horse Shewan to be treated on the day he was due to race. Shewan was found to have blood seeping from a puncture wound in the jugular [...]
The blitz by Victorian stewards on raceday treatments has turned up another case with trainer Ricky Maund under investigation after fresh blood was found on the neck of a horse in his stable on Saturday. Stewards found the sign of treatment on Timely Truce, who was entered for the Listed [...]
Trainer Robert Smerdon knew Shamal Wind had class and ability before she ran at Flemington on Thursday, but he wasn’t sure how much. After her win in the Listed Gucci Stakes (1200m) he remains pleasantly uncertain. “I wasn’t quite sure how good she was,” Smerdon said. “This was her class [...]
