Tasmania’s leading harness racing trainer, Ben Yole, has been banned from entry to the state’s racetracks, two days after the release of a major independent report into race fixing.
Tasracing last night issued the notices to Mr Yole and others named in the Murrihy Report after the report made adverse findings against several individuals.
The report, headed by independent former steward Ray Murrihy, investigated claims of race fixing, team driving and animal abuse first aired by the ABC last March.
The government made the report public on Wednesday, more than two months after receiving it, and it made a number of findings against Mr Yole, including that he participated in fixing at least two races in 2022.
Despite the findings, the Office of Racing Integrity stopped short of standing down Mr Yole, meaning he will be allowed to continue to train and enter horses in races.
Yole horses scratched by Tasracing
All 38 horses trained by Mr Yole which were listed to race at Mowbray in Launceston tonight have been scratched.
However, almost 50 runners scheduled to run in Hobart on Sunday remain listed to run.
The scratchings were confirmed at 3pm, after TasRacing issued Yole a notice “warning him off” Tasmanian racetracks.
It’s understood a Yole truck containing horses and equipment was denied entry to the Mowbray racecourse this afternoon.
Yole runners that were scheduled to run at Leeton in New South Wales were also scratched, including eight of the nine runners in the first race.
Corey Bell, a harness driver and trainer who was named in the Murrihy Report, has also had a number of entrants scratched from meets in New South Wales and Victoria.
Mr Yole has continued to train, and has fielded about 700 runners in races since November, when the report was first handed to the government.
Upon the release of the report this week, the government announced an independent panel of stewards would be formed to further investigate, and potentially sanction Mr Yole, over a number of suspect races and instances of animal abuse identified by Mr Murrihy.
Tasracing announced it was exploring its legal options, separate to the Office of Racing Integrity, in regards to the allegations against Yole Racing and others implicated in the report.
Yole can ‘show cause’ why ban should be cancelled
Last night, it served formal notices to those named in the report, warning them off “all venues controlled by Tasracing in Tasmania”.
According to the Australian Rules of Harness racing, a person who has been “warned off” is unable to “participate in any manner in the harness racing industry”.
“TasRacing is satisfied it has the grounds on which to make this decision under the Racing Regulation Act 2004, based on serious allegations and subsequent findings made by Mr Murrihy,” Tasracing chief executive Andrew Jenkins said.
“The named participants have a show cause period to provide evidence why the notice should be rescinded.”
Racing Minister Felix Ellis said he welcomed Tasracing’s decision.
“Under our new model which abolishes the Office of Racing Integrity, Tasracing will have a much greater role to play in the day-to-day integrity decisions of racing,” he said.
“These actions are a clear demonstration that Tasracing is highly capable of this and is taking this new responsibility seriously.”
Tasmanian Trotting Club chairman Noel Salter said he was supportive of the Tasracing decision to warn off Mr Yole, and said the Office of Racing Integrity should stand down those implicated in the Murrihy Report.
“The club is aware that the decision to scratch horses from the weekend’s meetings rests with the director of racing,” Mr Salter said.
“The Tasmanian Trotting Club urges the director to act and enforce Harness Racing Australia rule 259 relating to disqualified persons.”
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