Trainer Robert Smerdon was fined $10,000 on Wednesday by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board for conduct prejudicial to the image of racing.
The independent three-man panel, led by Deputy Chairman Brian Forrest, found Smerdon guilty of breaching AR175A which states: “Any person bound by these Rules who either within a racecourse or elsewhere in the opinion of the Committee of any Club or the Stewards has been guilty of conduct prejudicial to the image, or interests, or welfare of racing may be penalised.
The charge brought by Racing Victoria stewards relates to Smerdon’s involvement in the Damien Oliver betting case in which the jockey placed a bet on a rival horse in a race in which he was competing.
Oliver’s bet, for which he was outed for 10 months by the RAD Board, was placed on Miss Octopussy to win Race 6 at Moonee Valley on 1 October, 2010. Oliver rode the unplaced Europa Point in the same race.
Smerdon provided Oliver, after trackwork at Caulfield in the weeks following the race, approximately $11,000 in cash on behalf of Mark Hunter, who placed the bet on Oliver’s behalf.
The payment from Smerdon to Oliver was for the settlement of the bet placed by the jockey, with the RAD Board finding that his conduct in doing so was prejudicial to the image, interests or welfare of racing.
Click to view RAD Board reasons for decision
Source : Racing Victoria
