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 »
A public funeral will be held for popular jockey Desiree Gill who died from injuries received in a fall at the Sunshine Coast. The funeral service will be held at The Pavilion at the Gympie Turf Club at 1030 (AEST) on Monday where family and friends will gather to pay… Read More »
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) has joined the call for state governments to pass legislation allowing police to share information with racing authorities. In a ground-breaking move, the ACC and Victoria’s Racing Integrity Commission signed an agreement in Melbourne on Wednesday allowing collaboration between the two bodies. State governments have… Read More »
French trainer Mikel Delzangles has escaped a ban over a treatment given to his Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden on the morning of last Tuesday’s race. In a decision bound to provoke discussion among local trainers, the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board fined Delzangles $2000. After a previous case prosecuted… Read More »
A man who king hit a female strapper in the mounting yard at Flemington faces police and racing charges. The young woman was waiting for Black Cash to return after his win in the greys race at Oaks Day on Thursday when the man, believed to be someone she knew,… Read More »
