Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards have laid serious charges against registered owner Joe Aria, following alleged breaches of the Australian Rules of Racing related to dishonesty and misleading conduct.
Mr Aria faces two charges under AR 229(1)(a) and AR 229(1)(h), which prohibit corrupt, dishonest or improper practices and false or misleading statements connected to the administration of racing.
The first charge stems from an incident on 23 April 2025, when Mr Aria submitted an application to Racing Australia to be registered as a Stable Employee. The application allegedly included an altered criminal history check.
The second charge relates to a Show Cause Hearing on 15 May 2025, during which Mr Aria is accused of making false and/or misleading statements about the criminal history check and the circumstances surrounding its submission.
These matters are scheduled to be heard by the Victorian Racing Tribunal, with a date yet to be determined.