Letsgohorseracing - VIC & NSW

Details: Published: 18 December 2012; Created: 18 December 2012

RACING Victoria today released its jumps program for 2013 with a total of 10 tracks hosting races..

The daily news bulletin also reports that Crack a Roadie is about to embark on an ambitious autumn carnival program and looks forward to the Moonee Valley night doube-header on Thursday and Friday.

Details: Published: 17 December 2012; Created: 17 December 2012

THE prospect of a mid-January return to race riding by Chris Symons highlights today's Racing Victoria News Bulletin.

And, after two years on the sidelines, Yarra Valley is gearing for a return to racing in two months' time.

Details: Published: 14 December 2012; Created: 14 December 2012

ANDREW Catterall has been appointed executive General Manger of Strategy and Development for Racing Victoria.

The Racing Victoria News Bulletin also reports on a $10,000 fine imposed on trainer Jim Conlan over a treatment breach.

Details: Published: 13 December 2012; Created: 13 December 2012

TOP lady riders Michelle Payne and Katelyn Mallyon are on the comeback trail while Jackie Beriman has ended a stint in Sydney and returned to Victoria.

It's all systems go for the new timeslot of the Werribee Cup on Sunday and the field for the feature looks like being a beauty.

Details: Published: 11 December 2012; Created: 11 December 2012

EARLY Melbourne Cup favorite Puissance De Lune is preparing to return to work for a Melbourne Festival of Racing campaign.

The Racing Victoria News Bulletin also reports that Ortensia is gearing for a tilt at the Black Caviar Lightning in February.

Details: Published: 10 December 2012; Created: 10 December 2012

TRAINER Ricky Maund has escaped with a $10,000 fine after administering medication without the permission of stewards who cited the terms of the penalty as consistent with two similar recent offences.

Another inquiry involving trainer Jim Conlan has been adjourned by stewards before determining if he has charges to answer.

Details: Published: 10 December 2012; Created: 10 December 2012

POLICE have made a breakthrough in Victoria's biggest race-fixing probe, uncovering CCTV vision of a relative of Danny Nikolic collecting winnings on a race that the disgraced jockey allegedly fixed.

NICK McKENZIE and NINO BUCCI reports for the MELBOURNE AGE that the winnings collected were from bets placed by a third party who police suspect was used by Nikolic to disguise his betting on the race.

The CCTV vision from Crown Casino is likely to form part of any criminal case launched against Nikolic and a second jockey, Mark Zahra, over allegations they conspired to manipulate the outcome of a race won by Smoking Aces at Cranbourne in April 2011.

Zahra is alleged to have been paid a $3000 kickback by Nikolic to ride his horse in a way that favored Nikolic's mount, Smoking Aces.

Police recently completed a brief of evidence against Nikolic and sent it to the Office of Public Prosecutions for consideration.

As the racing world waits to see if Nikolic is charged, police have been ramping up their campaign to ban underworld figures from racetracks and the casino.

Offenders have been stung with the notices because of suspicions they are laundering money, corrupting officials and consorting with fellow criminals.

Fairfax Media recently revealed that two of those banned this year are Danny Nikolic and his brother, former horse trainer John, who is also implicated in the Smoking Aces scandal.

Police said casino and racing exclusion notices kept crime figures and undesirables in check by stopping them flashing their wealth in gaming rooms and betting rings.

Detective Superintendent Neil Paterson would not reveal the offending that had led to the notices, but Fairfax Media understands Asian crime gangs have adopted new methods to launder profits from burgeoning drug enterprises at Crown Casino.

Detective Superintendent Paterson said those banned included high-profile criminals and some who have received little public exposure.

Chief Commissioner Ken Lay is given an intelligence dossier on each offender before deciding on a ban.

Ten people were placed on the register this year, the most since 2006 - the year Tony Mokbel, who was issued with an exclusion order in 2005, fled the country while on bail for drugs charges, and when gangland identity Mario Condello was gunned down.

''The decisions made by the Chief Commissioner are to disrupt organised crime identities from attending the casino and racetracks and using those venues to launder money,'' Detective Superintendent Paterson said.

''The exclusion order regime is useful in that we don't see many breaches of the orders issued. It's certainly a good disruption technique.

''Certainly, well-known identities that the media often report on are some of the people that we focus on, not because of the reporting but because they come to our attention for their criminal offending.''

There are 44 people who have been banned, with no orders lapsed, and Detective Superintendent Paterson said he could not recall a notice being appealed.

He said it was hard to measure if banning more offenders had reduced crime, but there was no doubt the integrity of the casino and racetracks was better protected by reducing the chance for criminals to legitimise their wealth.

None of those banned this year appeared to be targeting problem gamblers to launder money, a police spokeswoman said.

''There have been a number of individuals excluded this year of varying nationality - the reasons for exclusion range from reducing money laundering, deterring [the] corrupting influence of organised crime figures in casino and racing processes, consorting and organised crime associations.''

A Racing Victoria spokeswoman said the chief steward was given a list of banned persons and a picture, where possible.

STORY SOURCE: MELBOURNE AGE – FAIRFAX MEDIA.

Details: Published: 06 December 2012; Created: 06 December 2012

IT hasn’t been a good week for the Maund family – with trainer Ricky found guilty over the treatment of a horse during the Melbourne Cup carnival and his jockey brother Chris in trouble over a positive urine sample taken at Eagle Farm.

Victorian-based Ricky will learn his fate when submissions on penalty are heard next Monday while Chris has been disqualified for a total of seven months.

Below are details of both cases:

Details: Published: 05 December 2012; Created: 05 December 2012

THE latest Racing Victoria News Bulletin reports that Gai Waterhouse plans to set Melbourne Cup runner-up Fiorente for the Australian Cup during the Melbourne Festival of Racing.

Meanwhile, trainer John O'Shea could not be happier with the progress of Sea Siren leading into Sunday's rich Hong Kong International Sprint at Sha Tin.

Details: Published: 04 December 2012; Created: 04 December 2012

THE headline item in today's Racing Victoria News Bulletin is the charges laid by stewards against the Sydney training combination of Con and Tony Karakatsanis.

In other news Alcopop is ready for his Hong Kong assault and Daniel Lane has the early lead in the National Rising Stars series for apprentice jockeys.