Some of the most powerful racing identities in Victoria have sprung to the defence of the Racing Victoria Integrity Department following claims by Racing Minister Martin Pakula that the department had not been strong enough.
Pakula said this week: “There is no doubt that integrity in the past has not been as strong as it should be.”
But the former head of the integrity department scoffed at suggestions that his old department had failed in their duties.
“In the last 10 years Racing Victoria has built the most sophisticated and contemporary integrity unit I would say in the world,” said former integrity department chief Dayle Brown.
“Building of this sophistication did not happen overnight it has taken years to infuse this expertise into the RV integrity unit, which has realised a team of highly capable subject matter experts who will ensure the sport competes on a level playing field well into the future.
“We have trained other jurisdictions in surveillance methods, intelligence and investigators and this has happened because the skill sets of the teams within the RV integrity unit are considered one of the best in the world in both racing and sport.”
Pakula’s reference to the compliance team also upset one of Victoria’s leading veterinary surgeons, Glenn Robertson-Smith.
“What a lot of nonsense. I’ve got a feeling that line the minister gave us sounds as if Aquanita themselves had thought of it. You have no idea the work that these people put in both detecting cheats and their work with the welfare of the horse.”
You will now receive updates fromSport Newsletter
Sport Newsletter
Get the latest news and updates emailed straight to your inbox.
Robertson-Smith said the rules on bicarb had been in place for more than 10 years so to suggest integrity 10 years ago with respect to bicarb was weaker than today was simply wrong.
He added that in the past five years the integrity department had beefed up the rules by banning alkalising agents within 24 hours of race day and stomach tubing in the 24 hours preceding race day.
Robertson-Smith said the publicity around the Aquanita scandal was incredibly damaging to the sport he loved but added: “This is not endemic cheating. It only involves one racing stable and the rest of the sport should not be tarnished by this.
“My practice is dependent on a level playing field and that’s what we get in Victoria.”
One of Australia’s leading trainers David Hayes said:
“We are in the best hands here in Victoria. We’ve committed good money to integrity and drug testing and now we’re reaping the rewards.
“And while other states have kept their heads in the sand, Victorian compliance team and integrity general have maintained if you want to cheat in Victoria you will be caught.”
Brown added that the racing public would be astounded with the background work and intelligence that the team had gathered in a bid to apprehend those breaking the rules.
“Our CAT team has employed the most sophisticated surveillance methods, this team at times has worked around the clock and at times with little sleep following intelligence leads and inspecting stables with meticulous rigour.”
Brown said that some of the CAT team’s operation remained a secret due to the sensitive nature of their work.
[contf] [contfnew] 
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
