the galah

I called the behavior childish and moronic , if we are to believe the harnesslink article. That's what I believe, otherwise I wouldn't have said it. Saying every second post on here makes you think the public jumps to ridiculous conclusions, as you just did,well that's what you think,isn"t it.

Absolute rubbish. Its up to each trainer /driver whether they want to work with the media to promote betting with an honest assessment of their horses chances.. But for anyone to say that they will no longer contribute because the public will believe they may be going to be deceived is just moronic and childish. And for harnesslink to write a story like that just illustrates, again, how upset some industry participants are that possible dishonesty has been uncovered, and that those who run harnesslink will do anything to suck up to some sectors.

I see harnesslink has stopped this because they don't want to put trainers in a tricky situation if they tip the wrong horse Whoever made this decision is an absolute moron. As to any trainers who may not want to contribute ,if we can believe what harnesslink infers, Your showing comtempt to those who have supported your industry

I think the type of defense your mounting is doing more harm than good to your cause. Bit sad to read your posts. You seem to think we"re all stupid as well..

It just states he has information that may lead to him being a possible witness, and that he has not been charged with anything. I don't take that as an implication of any guilt. I guess if you were Mr o"connor you may feel a lot of unwanted attention. I do agree the headline of this post is misleading.

Interesting take on things. Am I correct in hearing you say the RIU did not carry out its role? You expect them to pay for lost wages? It appears you are very angry that the RIU made a decision to pass on their concerns to the police because they realised,amongst other things, they didn"t have the resources needed to fully investigate the possible illegal activity reported to them.. Youv"e got it all back to front. You should be angry at the possible illegal activity, and those involved in it,not at those who helped uncover it. …….

All those examples you have given are stood down to protect the integrity and reputation of their businesses and organisation. So I"m guessing, using your argument, you accept they should be stood down. I guess you are referring to drivers. So who is it you expect to fully fund the wages of some of the top 10 earners in harness racing while they await the outcome of their race fixing and drug charges?.

Why not,seems pretty straight forward. The simple solution is to have all those involved in race fixing stood down from attending race meetings,but allow them to continue to compete and attend at trials and workouts where there is no betting. That is until the conclusion of these cases. As far as the drug charges. They should be allowed to continue as above if they provide drug free samples,However charges must be filed by the RIU and dealt with expediently. Their comebacks may thus be short lived but at least that part of it can be dealt with and that cloud will not have to hover over anyone for too long.

Just a thought for you Long owner. The press publish stories that their readers are interested in, stories that will help sell them papers and get clicks on their website. I think they know what their readers want better than you. This type of case would get more sensationalized coverage overseas. They are just doing there job. Surely you have noted the amount of posts on this topic on this website. Clearly an indication of interest in the topic. The press will neither be vindicated or vilified by whatever the outcomes. They report what they deem appropriate. They are neither the prosecution or the defence. In my opinion I've seen nothing so far to justify such a statement. This will be an ongoing story,get used to it, The media isn't 'the enemy,and strategies should already be underway the have the media publish stories in a way that will be beneficial to how harness racing is perceived.

Its obvious you"ve completely missed the point that uncovering illegal activity and dishonesty is a good thing. Brodie not on the money here. You carry on with your doom and gloom view,i will carry on with my positive view.

I don't think it will be a fatal blow,it actually should be the opposite if handled properly by those in charge. Its quite simple. Sell the message that dishonesty and corruption will not be tolerated, Just as simple , Take the necessary actions to enforce the message above. No one is bigger than the game. Everyone involved in these cases have tainted the way they are perceived. No one has been found guilty yet,so we must be tempered in our responses but it is understandable the level of outrage at being deceived, from participants,punters and the public . If some are found guilty then their will be comebacks in years to come. With the natural talent some have they will again be very successful,if they want to be. At the end of it all,when the dust settles,irrespective of court outcomes, there is a need for Harness leaders to work out how all this came about,and why there has been an attitude,as clearly evidenced by some posters on here, that this type of activity has always been in harness racing and its just the way it is, unbelievably even acceptable. Therein is part of the answer. Just as the blue magic case was inevitable, so was this case. Its just the scale and those involved that has surprised and bewildered everyone. If I was edward rennell I would be working with industry leaders and the government to set up some type of independent person or judge to investigate and understand how it got to this, what and who's actions or inactions have contributed to the current situation. The said report could then produce recommendations for the future and detail the oversight of some groups performances to achieve the required standards.. This may have to wait until some of the dust has settled ,but planning needs to start now. Cometh the moment cometh the man. The pressure is now on Mr rennell to be just that. He wont be able to do it on his own. The message of the media has to be turned,the sooner that happens the better. Unfortunately there may have to be sacrifices, but the perception of the current situation can be turned around. So many positives can comes out of all this. That message needs to start very soon.

That's pretty stupid really. Of course anyone could help fix a race if he is not a trainer or driver. I can think of heaps of ways. Sure it has not been divulged exactly how yet,so it's all a bit of a mystery until it is.

Agree with newmarket, brodie you seem to be view the police like they are mugs. If the video evidence is all they have on the 3 races mentioned re mr stuart then their case would obviously be in serious trouble. Obviously its not.

Yes the couple of trainers we have used always tried every time, as did we whenever we took anything to the races. Sometimes you go knowing they need a run or two to get fully fit and drive them accordingly, but your still trying.. Only once did we have a horse in who we trained,who I"m sure was driven to get beaten. Was a hot $2 favourite. Driver seemed stoned before he went out actually,. He could not stop laughing after getting beaten on another $2 favourite in the previous race who took no part. That was before they introduced drug testing for cannabis and was about 20 years ago.

No, No comment-had high cobalt level,dont know enough about it. Chris cairns-Guilty as in my opinion.he had plenty of witnesses saying he did. Note in his case the only money traced went into lou vincents account,no recorded conversations. Maybe those here should give his lawyer a call. Don't agree . In fact I think the opposite. Graeme beirne has. If they have nothing to hide they should make a statement, worded by their solicitors. Its not like they have Robert mueller after them.

Obviously the police and their legal advisors believe they have sufficient evidence.They don't lay charges if they don't think they have. Its what we must currently rely on. Based on police actions it would be unfair to other industry participants and punters for them to be currently reinstated . Can you point me to any declarations of innocence on the part of the accused .Its been about a week now. I haven't seen any as yet. They would have a good idea of what evidence the police have by now. its only one way traffic at the moment. The main defence we currently get from those who sympathize with the actions of those involved, is reference to it happening in the past and criticism of the police using their resources to target harness racing . Pathetic really. No ones saying those charged are bad people, quite the contrary ,just it appears they have made bad decisions, At the end of the day the consequences will outweigh the actual actions, But its the integrity of the industry at stake, you cant let sympathy cloud your judgment.

One must assume the police have the capabilities of properly investigating said activity and I see no reason to say it will turn into a circus. The cases in Australia are examples of where charges laid were proved. Sure there may be charges laid that may be withdrawn,additional charges laid, plea deals done,etc,etc but the only reference to a circus I can see happening would be the totally understandable media attention it gets.

You seem completely out of touch with how serious a problem methamphetamine use can become to those who use it and for those who have family or friends with a p addiction. Over 1 in 4 p users become addicted from the start. Perhaps you should get to know more about its effects or talk to those that have had their lives ruined. Become more informed before you make such flippant comments.

Cockburn in queensland only got fined $5000 but had all his licenses cancelled and media reported it as a life ban. I would not hold out too much hope of much different in Victoria.

This stable has been having a great run. Cameron always looked to be a talented horseman and certainly has his horses looking and racing well He is placing them well..I have a vague recollection that his father also trained some nice horses back in the 70"s and 80 's. While it will be hard for Cameron to maintain such a good current strike rate,he is showing everyone what he is capable of.

Are you taking the mickey? Why would they be charged? Police don't arrest anyone just because they have got the sack for drug use. maybe what your getting at is the precedent that stable set when those involved lost their jobs at the all stars barn. That is an interesting aspect to it all. Do as I say,not as I do

Sure.If I was ceo. I would contact the major news outlets that attended the other night along with any local news outlets and invite them all to attend the next meeting at addington. I would arrange for each media representative to be met at a specific point upon entering, none of this lurking in the carpark stuff talking to unprepared industry participants. I would recognize the need to influence the message that is portrayed in the media to be a positive one,not a negative. I would have a chaperones already arranged for each group to take them to an area next to where the sponsors are wined and dined. I would provide a top class meal along with liquid refreshments showcasing that aspect of addington during their stay.. Once they have arrived in that area I would greet them all individually myself,thanking them for taking the time to attend. I would advise them that you had arranged meetings with representatives of the harness racing industry directly effected by the current story,which of course you would have hand picked and discussed with prior,to ensure the right message was portrayed. People like ken barron As head of the horsemans association, Mr bromley as promotions man who can highlight the areas that generate all aspects of employment associated with a racemeeting and addington raceway and the need to work through the current situation for the good of all those people not just licenceholders. Have the chief stipe in control that night talk to them illustrating how every race is reviewed looking for any transgressions ,inviting them into their room for footage if need be.Have the person who deals with sponsors highlight how they are looked after and point out there have been no cancellations,invite them to meet a couple of the sponsors representatives, preferably hand picked to comment on their experience on that night so far. Have mr renell there available for interviewing,he says the right thing and take advice from him at the pre meeting. Hes had experience in this before and obviously has learnt a thing or two first time around. Have them taken through a tour of the stabling area which they can film but point out in the interests of health and safety they must be chaperoned at all times. have some hand picked stop offs on that tour of licenceholders who could again reinforce the message and portray the industry and the message you want to get out there. Also try and impress upon them that there is a human cost to those involved,that you have offered counselling for anybody in the industry directly involved or effected by this situation. Sell the message that the cases are currently before the court and you cant comment on any details involved. However work on a message where you are seen to want any transgressors firmly dealt with for this totally unacceptable behavior while at the same time having concern for the transgressors and their families, and their emotional wellbeing. Not everyone dealing the press,especially the horsemans representative may feel comfortable,however they have to do so for the greater good of everyone. etc,etc. Finally when the press have finished thank them for attending,suggest they have a work do there and give them the contact details of their chaperone who will do their best to arrange any future meetings with people within the industry. Even have a laugh about the pre race cup favourite being named The fixer. Its all about having the industry and all those involved being portrayed in a fair way. Unfortunately they missed that opportunity the other night,but its still early days.

Brodie is always on the money,so yes he will be a trump supporter. Latest announcement was the lowest U.S.A. unemployment figures in 50 years.

Gee,do you really think that should be an acceptable way of handling media attention? The media attending the meeting last night was a virtual certainty and could have been handled in a 100 different ways to get them on board to provide kinder coverage in the future. Are addington leaders that devoid of any forward planning for the obvious. Another self inflicted wound for harness racing.

What are they thinking?. A very poor look , just another negative story. Just when you should be trying to get the media onside for some positive spin and some balance. How long is the ban to last. Maybe extend it after cup week? Maybe ban the punters as well?