More people are likely to be arrested as part of a Queensland investigation into systemic match fixing in the harness racing industry, police have warned. It comes after a 46-year-old licensed harness driver and trainer was charged with one count of match fixing by detectives from the racing crime squad… Read More »
Queensland’s chief harness racing steward David Farquharson has been fired after being on suspension for two months. Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said Farquharson’s employment was terminated as of Friday. He said Farquharson was suspended in December pending an investigation into a matter reported by a racing industry participant…. Read More »
Four people have reportedly been arrested as part of an investigation into race fixing after a large harness race meeting in Melbourne’s west. Following the Breeders Crown at TAB Park in Melton on Sunday night, police arrested four people from the racing industry in connection with an investigation into race… Read More »
Sacked Racing Queensland chief integrity officer Wade Birch is suing the organisation, claiming he was unfairly dismissed and that his reputation has been ruined. In a District Court claim filed Monday, Mr Birch’s lawyers say the long-time racing industry official was fired in July 2015 for alleged misconduct with no… Read More »
Cormac Barry, CEO of online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au, has labelled Jeff Kennett as irrelevant, ill-informed and out of touch with reality following his recent comments on corporate bookmakers. “Jeff Kennett’s primary concern appears to be that corporate bookmakers pay less money to the racing industry than Tabcorp. This in itself shows just… Read More »
The world’s biggest thoroughbred breeders may be forced to abandon their operations in the NSW Hunter Valley if the state government approves an open-cut mine. The Department of Plannings this week rejected the recommendations of the NSW government’s independent planning assessment commission that the Anglo American Drayton South mine should… Read More »
Racing Queensland has moved to quell unrest following the resignation of two representatives from an industry board. Barry Taylor and Brad Steele have both resigned from the Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board which oversees the three racing codes in Queensland. The resignations could not have come at a worse… Read More »
The Australian Wagering Council says Racing Victoria’s changes to its race fields fees will send more punters to bet with illegal offshore bookmakers. The AWC, which represents Australia’s biggest online bookmakers, released a statement denouncing RV’s new race fields fee framework on Friday. AWC members will pay 30 per cent… Read More »
Experienced administrator Ian Mackay has resigned his role as chief executive of The Championships, the two-day centrepiece of the Sydney autumn racing carnival held for the first time this year. Mackay will step down next month to take over at the helm of the Canberra Southern Cross Club. Racing NSW… Read More »
Queensland trainer John Nikolic has been disqualified for 12 months after a horse he brought across the NSW border to race tested positive to an illegal substance. Nikolic is the brother of banned jockey Danny Nikolic and only returned to training last year after a previous infringement. A post-race sample… Read More »
Apprentice Patrick Moloney will have surgery on a broken left ankle after a fall at Flemington on Saturday. He might also require surgery on his right ankle, which was also fractured, according to Victorian Jockeys’ Association chief executive Des O’Keeffe. Moloney fell from Sweet Starlett when near the tail of… Read More »
A former leading voice of Queensland racing Larry Pratt has died in hospital aged 78. Pratt, the younger brother of former premiership winning trainer Alby Pratt, had been in hospital for the past month after heart surgery. His son Michael Pratt said Larry had been thought to be improving, but… Read More »
Racing Queensland has been forced to do a back flip and include Eagle Farm in its schedule for the 2014-2015 racing season. RQ and the Brisbane Race Club had hoped to shut Eagle Farm in July from until April 2015. A dates schedule was drawn up without racing at Eagle… Read More »
Jockey Nathan Berry has died in a Sydney hospital just hours after he was flown home to Sydney from Singapore. The 23-year-old had been seriously ill in a Singapore hospital since he collapsed at Kranji racecourse on March 18. His death was confirmed in a statement from Racing NSW chief… Read More »
Luxury watch brand Longines will sponsor the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the richest race of the Sydney autumn carnival. The Australian Turf Club announced on Saturday the naming rights and sponsorship was part of an extensive deal between the two. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) is at Randwick on… Read More »
A court ruling enabling Racing NSW to license vets has angered the Australian Veterinary Association which says it will continue to fight the regulation. But the state’s ruling body says it is necessary to ensure the integrity of the sport. Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said vets who look… Read More »
Reg Fleming grew up in Brisbane listening to broadcasts of Roy Higgins riding two of his favourite horses. Years later, after Higgins had retired from racing, Fleming became Melbourne foreman for legendary trainer Bart Cummings and also get to meet the jockey who had one of the most distinguished careers… Read More »
Roy Higgins has been remembered as an inspiration, an icon for Australian racing and a champion bloke. Many of horse racing’s biggest names, past and present, turned out at Flemington racecourse on Thursday to farewell the champion jockey who died last weekend aged 75. An inaugural member of the Australian… Read More »
Former trainer Hayden Haitana has applied to have his lifetime ban from racetracks over the infamous Fine Cotton ring-in scandal lifted. The board of Racing Queensland will consider Haitana’s case on Friday after the 68-year-old, who has served 29 years so far, wrote to officials last month. “The board will… Read More »
Racing NSW’s plan to introduce a new rule that would force vets to be licensed has been put on hold until the new year at the request of the state government. The state’s regulatory body said the regime, which was due to start on December 1 following months of negotiations,… Read More »
