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McGrath: Tubing Case


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Story from the Star today

Canterbury horse trainer's property raided, equipment to ‘tube’ horses found

 
The property of a Canterbury horse trainer caught up in a police undercover operation has been raided.

 

The Racing Integrity Unit went to Nigel McGrath’s West Melton property on Friday, hours before two of his horses, Steel The Show and Could Nine, were due to race at Addington.

Starnews.co.nz has learned equipment used to ‘tube’ horses was confiscated, and the two horses were ordered scratched from running at the meeting.

McGrath and another man were at the property.

 
Tubing is a practice where substances are fed down a horse’s throat. There are rules around when this can be done prior to a horse racing.

 

RIU general manager Mike Godber would not comment on the raid.

It is understood the raid was not connected to Operation Inca, which has seen a number of people arrested on drugs and race fixing charges.

However, an investigation has been launched by the RIU into what was found on McGrath’s property.

McGrath’s lawyer, Pip Hall QC, said he became aware of the raid over the weekend, but would not comment further.

McGrath, Harness Racing New Zealand chief executive Peter Jensen and HRNZ board chairman Ken Spicer, did not return calls.

The raid comes several weeks after McGrath pleaded guilty at a racing Judicial Control Authority hearing to a race charge.

At the hearing, details emerged for the first time of a bugged phone conversations involving a big-betting businessman connected to the McGrath stable and McGrath,

The conversation, secretly recorded by police during the Inca operation, involved how a race would be run. The businessman, who has interim name suppression, is facing criminal charges.

McGrath initially faced a race-fixing charge in the district court as a result of the recordings, which was later dismissed.

The RIU then charged him with two racing offences. which were heard by the Judicial Control Authority, an independent body that hears racing matters.

McGrath pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of improper driving.

The RIU dropped the more serious charge of driving in a manner detrimental to the interests of harness racing.

He was banned from driving for six months.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Happy Sunrise said:

At the hearing, details emerged for the first time of a bugged phone conversations involving a big-betting businessman connected to the McGrath stable and McGrath,

The conversation, secretly recorded by police during the Inca operation, involved how a race would be run. The businessman, who has interim name suppression, is facing criminal charges.

i am pretty sure that is not the case or has he belatedly applied for it

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1 minute ago, Rangatira said:

was said riu employee hiding on the property

Tell me more.  You can PM me if you wish.  

Or are you inferring that tubing equipment was found without any evidence of it being used on the Friday?  Or someone was hiding in the bushes and saw it being used?

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