THE WEDNESDAY WHINGE has a new look but won’t be dispensing with the theme and focus on the THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY side of what is happening in racing. The Whinge will continue to provide an opportunity for The Cynics to Have Their Say. Thanks again for your support for the most read column on this website and one of the most read on racing websites in the country. Our popularity continues to grow despite the bagging it cops from some high profile officials, especially in Queensland, who cannot cope with constructive criticism of any kind. We encourage supporters – and critics – to continue to contribute but plan to restrict the Whinge to less than 10 of the best items each week. Our message to those who continually bag us is simple: IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU READ, THEN DON’T REVISIT THE WHINGE.

SAME OLD ACCUSATIONS AGAINST LGHR – JUST FROM A DIFFERENT SUPPORT GROUP

EDITOR’S NOTE: LETSGOHORSERACING has been accused of running a campaign against the Kevin Dixon-run Racing Queensland. The same accusations were fired at us when Bob Bentley and his Board were running the show. Over the years we were threatened with legal action by both. We make no apologies for our stance and are simply providing a platform for those who want to have a say on any issue of concern in racing and a more balanced coverage than they get from ‘mates of people in high places’ in the mainstream racing media.

We are receiving dozens of emails each week since the LNP lost Government calling on new Racing Minister Bill Byrne to sack RQ boss Kevin Dixon and his cronies, to stand down the Greyhound Board pending the outcome of the Labor- ordered review into how live baiting was allowed to continue and to put a broom through the stewards and integrity department bringing in some heavy-hitters who will restore confidence among the punting public. Here is an example of the feeling out there in the industry and it is time the new Racing Minister listened before racing in Queensland degenerates into a complete farce.   

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RACING MINISTER – ASKING HIM TO ACT NOW & SACK KEVIN DIXON

‘I represent a group of industry stakeholders who can hardly come out publicly and risk persecution by making controversial and damaging statements about racing in Queensland but I was wondering if this ‘open’ letter could be forwarded to the new Minister on our behalf.

To the Honorable Bill Byrne, Minister for Racing (among other things)

Dear Minister

You have now had your feet under the desk for almost a month and there a number of issues concerning to many people in the three codes of the industry in Queensland that need your urgent attention.

By now you would have been made aware of some of the concerns of stakeholders and others. We understand that a list of serious allegations and complaints have already been raised with you.

The bottom line is that you need to step up to the plate right now and follow the lead of your Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in advertising for a new Chair of the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Kevin Dixon needs to be replaced as Chairman of the All Codes Board. So does his ‘first lieutenant’ Greg Hallam. The entire Greyhound Board should have been stood down straight after the 4 Corners expose. Integrity issues need to be addressed in all three codes.

At the end of the day the buck stops with the boss and Dixon has to accept more responsibility than he currently is. To simply stand down Head of Integrity Wade Birch on full pay until the greyhound debacle is sorted out is akin to providing him with an all expenses paid holiday.

There are some terrible allegations doing the rounds about integrity or lack of it in all three codes. What is happening with the Cobalt swabs in Queensland? While other states are full speed ahead we seem to be in reverse waiting for more and more test results to be returned.

The state of the tracks in south-east Queensland in particular is both embarrassing and disgraceful. And reading from what Terry Butts wrote this week in his ‘Silks & Saddles’ column the situation in the north isn’t much better.

We now have a situation where Eagle Farm is out of action (and the second stage of that redevelopment in limbo), Doomben is suffering the effects of too much racing (some days it plays well, others it doesn’t and the carnival looms), Toowoomba is a basket case (even this week I had a jockey tell me that the back of the track remains dangerous and unfit for racing yet we are pressing ahead with a Saturday carnival meeting there), Sunshine Coast has now degenerated to the stage where last weekend’s major meeting in Queensland was the butt of many complaints and jokes and then we had a major Sunday fixture at Kilcoy (which as someone wrote resembles a goat track).

In greyhound racing – unlike the southern states – the Board has safely held their positions despite allegations that RQ was advised of ‘live baiting’ months before the 4 Corners story emerged. Sure, the authorities are dining out on a handful of trainers being warned off but still no action against those responsible for policing the sport apart from the standing down of scapegoat Wade Birch when the Board should be sitting on the sidelines with him (and not on full pay).

There is still no confidence among the majority of punters in harness racing in Queensland where the Albion Park redevelopment is simmering and could any day boil over into another controversial issue for you Minister, especially when you have a politically influential man like Kevin Seymour calling the shots and pulling so many strings.

Within the walls of the Deagon bunker we have a lot of uncertainty and dissention. Staff are bagging the CEO behind his back, some are running with the current hierarchy, others in hushed terms bagging them. From an industry perspective it is not a healthy or business like operation.

With the help of his mates – like those clowns in Toowoomba – Little King Kev is doing everything possible to protect his position. One would expect that this supposedly a-political character will be guaranteed plenty of support from the likes of Tim Nicholls and Steve Dickson when the LNP assumes its new role on the Opposition benches when Parliament resumes in a fortnight.

Minister, you need to ask for a briefing and then make public to the industry the details of the TAB deal between RQ and Tattersalls and question why two Board members (Barry Taylor and Brad Steele) resigned in protest allegedly over a lack of consultation from the Chairman and his ‘mates’ on the All Codes Board.

The industry deserves to know the details of the sweetheart deal done with Gerry Harvey and the Magic Millions and how much racing is contributing. There are also questions that need to be answered that have been conveniently covered up in the annual report – especially how much the industry contributed to legal costs of RQ at the last Commission of Inquiry and details of the travel expenses bill for RQ last financial year which were over $1 million (a lot of junkets in that one would imagine).

Minister, don’t believe what you read or hear from the mainstream racing media ‘mates’ of the Chairman of All Codes Board. It’s time he was instructed to lift the ‘secrecy veil’ and ensure a level playing field in the racing media where those who dare to constructively criticize aren’t banned from receiving Media Releases and treated like second rate citizens.

I could go on Minister. Many believe there should be another Racing Inquiry run by a hard-hitter like Tony Fitzgerald. For us the answer is simple – put a broom through Dixon and his cronies who are currently calling the shots, get rid of the dead wood on the administrative side of the fence and bring in some no-nonsense integrity and steward identities to clean up the show which has degenerated to joke status in Queensland.

It’s over to you Mr Byrne – will you join the short-list of Racing Minister’s who will be remembered for what they achieved or join the long list of bums who did nothing for the industry and were simply subservient to the party in Government and its political mates?’

EDITOR’S NOTE: I cannot believe some of the high profile racing identities who are behind this Open Letter to the Racing Minister but remain too afraid of what will happen if the current hierarchy remains and they are identified. It’s a sad state of affairs but we will do our best to ensure their message is conveyed to the right people. Many racing followers who I am speaking to believe that the Greyhound Board should be at least stood down and probably sacked – the Review to start soon should determine that I guess. But more importantly they want Kevin Dixon gone and an ‘independent’ boss of racing in Queensland appointed to ensure the industry is ‘a level playing field’ for all involved not just run to suit those who are 'loyal' to the cause.

‘LACK OF TRANSPARENCY ON INQUIRY COSTS – INDUSTRY FOOTED $3mn RQ LEGAL BILL’ 

BOB BENTLEY, former RQ Board Chairman, again goes on the attack at the Kevin Dixon hierarchy in this email:

‘THERE has been plenty of duck shoving and lack of transparency on who paid what for the recent Racing Industry Commission of Inquiry instigated by Kevin Dixon and others including the late Bill Carter.

Kevin Dixon commissioned a report into purchasing policy by Racing Queensland and instructed Deloitte’s not to interview previous executive staff members.

Deloitte's prepared a report that was sensational to say the least but without the assistance of the previous executive it is understandable that they came up with the wrong conclusions.

Strangely this report was then leaked to the media and this started a succession of misinformed sensationalistic stories and headlines.

Contour Engineering, on reading the allegations printed in the newspapers, wrote to Racing Queensland , Deloittes, The Courier-Mail ,The Australian, Minister Dickson and the Attorney-General, advising that the allegations in the draft report were not correct and advised the amount of the correct fees paid amounted to less than $5 million not the $152 million alleged in the draft report. 

It is documented that Kevin Dixon demanded by email that the accounting firm Deloittes not alter the draft report to reflect the correct position. If they failed to do so, Dixon said he would report them to Government.

Deloittes, then placed between a rock and a hard spot, reluctantly agreed, but heavily qualified the report clearly declaring ‘this report cannot be relied on’.

Notwithstanding, Kevin Dixon knew the reliability of the contents and allegations were being questioned, he pressed on and convinced the LNP to call an Inquiry.

All other matters canvassed by the Inquiry had previously been dealt with by the courts, or were the subject of consideration by ASIC or the Auditor-General. In fact at the time the Auditor-General had already published his report on the executive salaries. 

The only matter of substance alive was the sensational draft report now heavily qualified which wrongly accused the firm, Contour Engineering, of receiving $152 million and the executive of Racing Queensland of allowing this to happen.

On Day 1 the Commission apologized to Contour and dismissed the allegation as ‘unfair’.

Clayton Utz, lawyers for Racing Queensland, sent RQ an account for work carried out in relation to the Commission amounting to $2.98 million (which was only the tip of the iceberg as far as what the Inquiry cost). Kevin Dixon presented the account to then Treasurer Tim Nicholls who promptly declined to pay.

The amount is grouped in the final accounts of Racing Queensland for the year ended 30th June 2014 under ‘Administration expenses of $6.949 million’. The commentary is noted in small print under Three Code Performance.

The question everyone is asking and Kevin Dixon has so far refused to give an explanation to is ‘why would you proceed  on a  report knowing that the allegations were misleading and resulted in the spending of almost $3 million of industry funds on a witch hunt?’

I fail to see how this equates to a responsible use of funds. This has some serious ramifications as Racing Queensland became a Unit of Public Administration. This behavior under the public service regulations is an offence. 

So now you know how another $3 million of industry funds went down the drain.'

SUNDAY TAB FIXTURES AT KILCOY ‘GOAT TRACK’ SIMPLY DON’T SHAPE UP

'BRETT WINTEC', a regular contributor, raises the controversial question of primary Sunday TAB race meetings being allocated to KILCOY: 

‘IS there anyone out there who can explain Racing Queensland’s logic to me regarding the allocation of a Sunday race meeting to Kilcoy, and more importantly their allocation of $16,000 per race to this second grade meeting?

My syndicate has just recently taken the decision to send one of our below average horses to Rockhampton to be trained with a view to trying to obtain a return on our investment. 

From what we have witnessed first-hand the facilities in Rockhampton and Mackay are good and the tracks are maintained well. From our perspective we were willing to race for $13,000 in Rockhampton when considering the lesser quality competition to the $16,000 races at the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

I was absolutely gob-smacked on Sunday to pick up The Sunday Mail to see that Kilcoy had been allocated a Sunday race meeting. This feeling got worse to see Kilcoy allocated $16,000 per race.

I decided to do some investigation into wagering on the meeting and the corresponding Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton meetings. 

The Sunshine Coast meeting the Sunday prior was run on a Soft (6) track and produced wagering turnover on its eight races via Tattsbet of $563,609. 

The Kilcoy meeting run on a good track produced wagering turnover of $355,191 on its eight races.  Therefore the Sunshine Coast meeting produced a 60% increase in wagering for the same prizemoney investment.

The Rockhampton meeting from the Thursday prior to the Kilcoy meeting was conducted on a good track with only seven races compared to the eight races conducted at both Sunday meetings mentioned above. 

The Rockhampton race meeting had prizemoney of $13,000 and produced wagering turnover of $400,758 on the seven races.  I have tabulated the outcome below:

Based on the above how can Racing Queensland justify the allocation of $16,000 per race in prizemoney and a prime Sunday race meeting to Kilcoy? 

It has been mentioned to me that the President of the Kilcoy Race Club is very close with the Chairman of Racing Queensland and also the previous LNP Government.

Surely this ridiculous allocation must be reviewed with the change of Government. This track attracts poor quality fields and the better jockeys don’t participate at meetings held at this facility. 

Why is Racing Queensland enabling this facility to be utilized for prime meetings and with prizemoney allocations way in excess of what is deserved? 

Why is it that Rockhampton generates a better return on seven races and has $37,000 less prizemoney paid to its owners, trainers and jockeys?

EDITOR’S NOTE: KILCOY fitted nicely into the once-successful Friday TAB circuit but is an embarrassment as the major Queensland venue on a Sunday. If asked about the poor betting turnover on the meeting referred to above no doubt the RQ boss would roll out his regular one-liner: ‘For the sake of the industry you have to take a hit at times.’ That’s his way of explaining political pork-barreling to under achieving clubs. The reason that Kilcoy has been fairing more favorably than Rockhampton prize-money wise is because the ‘goat track’ has LNP connections and Rockhampton doesn’t. Let’s see what happens in future with the new Racing Minister domiciled in Rocky and Labor back in Government (albeit a minority one, crying your eyes out Laurie the ‘three time’ Loser).

QUEENSLAND RACING INDUSTRY HEADING FOR ‘A FINANCIAL TRAIN SMASH’

ALBERT WILLIAMS, of REDCLIFFE, another regular, posted this thought-provoking contribution concerning RQ’s finances:

‘I have been reading various postings relating to the performance of Racing Queensland's financial performance and to be candid it looks as though the Queensland industry is heading for a train smash.

It is alarming that no performance figures are available for the next four months to 31st January 2015. It would be reasonable to suspect that this performance has probably deteriorated considerably. 

In this age of computer generated statistics any business the size of Racing Queensland should have figures available for the Board to review at every meeting for progress against budget monitored.

Tattsbet produce turnover and revenue figures and make them available to Racing Queensland within 14 days of the end of the previous month.

I question why these are not made available at the very least following each Racing Queensland Board meeting.

There is nothing confidential in performance figures. We have been kept in the dark for too long, treated like mushrooms. ‘Kept in the dark and covered with s.....’

Reviewing the performance against budget as at the 31st October 2014 now four months out of date:

Revenue                                 down   7.8%

Product Fees                         down   14.9%

Total Wagering Revenue     down    9.9%

Total Turnover                     down   15.8%

Prizemoney paid                   down    4.7%

This performance is hardly the substance of ‘Good Dreams’, going to bed knowing the industry is in safe hands with Kevin Dixon in charge.

The on-going loss of critical cash flow and the depletion of reserves left by the previous Board of $14 million are added to the losses of 2013 and 2014 of $10 million. This makes cumulative losses of industry funds of $24 million. Rather a spectacular failure when you consider what $24 million to prizemoney could have achieved.

The projected loss for 2015 is estimated at between $8 and $9 million if current trends continue as above. This is highly likely when Kevin Dixon seems plrepared to approve 12 meetings for Deagon and Home Hill on Sky1 on Saturday and Kilcoy being the  No 1 and only  meeting in Queensland on Sky1 on Sunday. 

Current prizemoney levels must come under severe pressure with this performance.

The  Kevin Dixon Board must take responsibility for the waste at Toowoomba, the lack of performance and the possible cumulative loss of industry funds that will amount to $33 million if the projected loss of $9 million in 2015 eventuates. It has all happened on his watch.

The industry needs the following questions answered:

1. IS Racing Queensland going to adhere to the current prizemoney levels?  If so, where will the cash flow come from as there are no reserves, performance is dire and 2015 looks like posting a record loss of $8 to $9 million on current trends?

2. IS the Board going to continue paying less in total by reducing the number of meetings and races run? This, of course, disadvantages the stakeholders with less. Prizemoney paid in total is down 4.7% or $800,000 for the four months ending 31st October 2014. Will this trend continue?

There are no ‘happy days ahead’.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: RQ CEO Darren Condon told me only a week ago that the early figures are misleading and that there has been a major turnaround since November. Therefore, one would assume the industry in Queensland should standby for some good news in the near future. At least the CEO talks to LGHR unlike his boss who continues to pretend that websites critical of his Board’s performance don’t exist. Two of his ‘biggest’ supporters – one an integrity ‘guru’ and the other appointed to a control body most believe because he is the Chairman’s ‘mate’ – tell anyone who wants to listen that they don’t read the Wednesday Whinge. The way they are performing like prize petunias at what is being contributed by critics at present one can only assume that someone is reading it to them.       

CALLANDER GOT IT RIGHT WHEN HE DECLARED RAWILLER RIDE ON KERMADEC A SHOCKER

PERCY SMITH of MELBOURNE wrote:

WHILE most of the high profile media figures were praising Nash Rawiller for being quick to concede he rode Kermadec badly in the Australian Guineas, their colleague Ken Callander got it right in his column in The Telegraph.

Rather than heap bouquets on Rawiller for admitting he took the wrong options on the hot favorite in the Group 1, Callander described the ride as ‘a shocker’.

Rawiller’s excuses did nothing for the connections of the horse or more importantly for the punters – big and small – who dipped in for a big win on Kermadec. There were many big bets of $5,000 and $10,000 invested not to mention millions lost by small punters and quadrella investors.

If this had been a jockey with less experience on the big race stage than Rawiller it might have been to a degree acceptable but you can bet he or she wouldn’t have escaped the wrath of a normally unforgiving media unless it happened to be one of their ‘mates’.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Well put and here’s KEN CALLANDER’S column item that the above email refers to:

CHRIS Waller shouted Nash Rawiller a business class flight to Melbourne to ride the favorite Kermadec in the Group 1 Australian Guineas.

I hope he let him hitch hike home to Hong Kong.

Nash’s ride on a hot pot was a shocker. We are used to watching 13-time Hong Kong champion rider Dougie White pocket mugs at Sha Tin and Happy Valley, but this was Flemington, Nash’s home turf.

Rawiller put his hand up after the race and said he had made a wrong decision in allowing himself to be pocketed and he declared the horse a certainty beaten.

Very noble, but that does not put one cent back in the punters’ pockets.

TIME MICHAEL HAWKES GOT OFF HIS HIGH HORSE AND RESPECTED THE STEWARDS AND PUNTERS

BERNIE ATKINSON of SYDNEY sent this email:

‘IT gets right up my nose when some of these high profile trainers give the impressions that they are above being questioned by stewards when a hot-pot gets beaten.

Michael Hawkes was the latest to join a list of sore losers after one-time Golden Slipper favorite Headwater raced well below expectations in Saturday’s Todman Stakes.

When asked if he had any thoughts on the dismal performance of Headwater, Hawkes snapped: ‘Not at the moment’.

Then when pressed on riding instructions issued to Blake Shinn who got planted three wide in a five-horse field, Hawkes got quite agitated. “How he jumps is he how he rode him. He had no hope when he was three wide.’

Then asked about the poor post race recovery Hawkes jnr continued with his hissy-fit in the stewards’ room with this little gem: “I would have a poor post-race recovery if I was three wide facing the breeze. He had a hard run, didn't he?”

In an interesting aftermath, Ken Callander quoted Ron Quinton, an eight-time premier jockey in Sydney, as telling him that sitting three deep in 1200m races at Randwick was no great disadvantage as there is only one turn and you often come out before the turn to make your run at other tracks anyway.

With all due respects to young Hawkes, Quinton would have forgotten more than he has learnt in racing. The moral of the story is that Michael should jump down off his high horse and show some respect for the stewards who are merely protecting the interests of hundreds of thousands of punters without whom there would be no industry.’

IN THE ABSENCE OF THE ‘PET PARROT’ A REAL RACING COLUMNIST STOOD UP TO BE COUNTED

STU WILLS of the DARLING DOWNS sent this contribution:

‘IN the absence of the ‘pet parrot’ we got some constructive criticism of the Caloundra track courtesy of Ben Dorries in The Courier-Mail on Monday.

Here’s hoping Ben didn’t get a dressing down from Nathan for suggesting: ‘Just about everyone was complaining that they might as well have raced on the beach. Was a weird look and punters were blowing up deluxe after their cash disappeared into quicksand. This track has had far too many recent meetings.’   

Dorries stopped short of declaring it another major track stuff-up by RQ – they’re becoming experts at it – but Phil Purser didn’t miss them on justracing (which I hope you won’t mind me repeating).

He wrote: ‘The clowns at Racing Queensland took the cake again last Saturday afternoon. They have problems with Eagle Farm and Toowoomba currently closed down because of their own ineptness so decide to hammer the Caloundra track with race meetings to the extent that it looked half rooted last Saturday afternoon. It will possibly become totally rooted if they continue to flog the guts out of it.

How could the Caloundra track that got served up last Saturday possibly engender a warm and fuzzy feeling in punters? If 'they' had to fill the track so full of sand or whatever, why would you use white material, so that it stood out like the dog proverbials?’

The track situation in Queensland is reaching a ridiculous stage. From Home Hill in the north (which is apparently full of holes) to Toowoomba (the basket case) and now Caloundra (in the south) it’s a wonder the turnover isn’t heading downhill like an out of control roller-coaster.

Yet while all this is happening up Toowoomba way let me tell you that a radio station on the Downs continues to promote RQ, the TTC and its little ‘cowboy’ general as the best thing since sliced bread. And they bag the crap out of web sites like yours and justracing. Hope that isn’t a reward for some work coming their way in another field!

While the Lone Ranger’s mule kicks up for his little ‘cowboy’ mate a group of us are putting together a complaint for the licensing authority which rules that community stations cannot be used for political purposes (in any circumstances). We’ll keep you posted on their response.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hell no, not another criticism of racing in Toowoomba. It just means more ‘gutless, anonymous’ emails of a personal nature targeted at LGHR by individuals who haven’t got the balls to say what they think up front. And they wonder why stakeholders in the southern states regard racing in Queensland as ‘toxic’.

SHOULD GREYHOUND RACING ON THE EAST COAST BE BANNED FOR A MONTH?

AMY QUINN of BRISBANE sent this email:

‘THERE is a suggestion doing the rounds in NSW and Victoria that greyhound racing should be banned for a month as penalty for the ‘live baiting’ scandal.

The do-gooders will no doubt scream discrimination against the ‘honest’ people in the industry. I disagree with that and believe it is an incentive for them in future not to turn a blind eye to what is going on behind the scenes and to report these criminal acts.

There is next to no chance that Queensland would drop out for a month. They are already a furlong behind action being taken in NSW and Victoria – some say because there are too many greyhound owners with conflicts of interest running the show in the north.

Whatever happens there are going to be some very interesting revelations when the Review into Greyhound Racing begins with stories already emerging of how embarrassing it is going to be for those running the show in Queensland.

It still worries me however when I hear how some of these disgusting individuals who we watched allegedly live baiting their greyhounds could escape criminal charges because the filming was illegal or for that matter escape life bans.

Whilst it is debatable whether those running dog racing either didn’t do their jobs, turned a blind eye, or ignored complaints, I find it hard to accept ‘illegal filming’ as a justifiable excuse – being made by lawyers – for the alleged offences.

The fact remains it has happened for years, has been shown to be happening big time when many of us believed it was a thing of the past – and unfortunately will probably continue to occur in the future.

An example has to be set. If it isn’t then there will be an invitation to do it all again – behind the security of a private training facility that obviously cannot be properly policed.

It doesn’t seem right however that greyhounds seized by RQ should not be returned to their rightful owners to continue to race with other kennels.

It was good to see that the entire racing industry isn’t footing the bill for this ‘greyhound levy’. It most certainly should not be imposed on the other two codes. But perhaps they should force those trainers banned for life to repay prizemoney earned by their dogs in questionable circumstances and put that towards the $1 million levy.

In conclusion I find it hard to swallow the story doing the rounds in greyhound circles and gaining supposed credibility by the day that the animal liberationists in Queensland are being heavily funded by a high profile identity who wanted to see greyhound racing discredited.

The simple way of silencing this sort of scuttlebutt would be by Animal Liberation Queensland to publicly explain how they fund high priced posters on the side of the Gold Coast Highway and also if they had any help – financial or otherwise – in the positioning of hidden cameras at training establishments that allegedly caught live baiting occurring.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: NOW I am being accused by some of these dick-heads in dog racing of being an Animal Liberationist. I am first and foremost an animal lover - something they should think about. But I would rather be labelled an Animal Liberationist that a 'low live live baitger'. Those grubs deserve to be thrown in jail.

IT would seem there is some action at the station as this Australian Associated Press story yesterday  would suggest:

POLICE are preparing to arrest more people over allegations of live baiting in Queensland's greyhound racing industry.

A 68-year-old Ipswich man (Tom Noble) was the first to be charged on Tuesday after a joint taskforce investigation by the Queensland Police and RSPCA.

He has been charged with seven counts of serious animal cruelty, and will appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon.

The new charge, which was included in the criminal code to reflect particularly bad cases of animal cruelty, carries a maximum penalty of seven years' jail.

Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth said police, RSPCA officers, vets and other animal experts had worked together to investigate claims live bait such as possums, piglets, rabbits and other animals are used to train competitive greyhounds.

"This is probably the first time in a taskforce situation that both agencies have worked together, and as you've seen today it appears to be very effective with the arrest of one person," he said.

"Charges will be occurring on a regular time frame from here on in."

Members of the public with information about live baiting in the industry are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the above e-mails should not be interpreted as those of JOHN LINGARD, the owner-editor of the letsgohorseracing web-site. That is why he has added an ‘EDITOR’S NOTE’. Every endeavor is made to verify the authenticity of contributors. We welcome any reasonable and constructive responses from parties or individuals.