News

Murrihy Confirms Stewards Monitoring Betting & EPO

2nd Feb 2009

Breeding and Racing - Monday, 2 February 2009

In Sydney, Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy told Ray Thomas in The Daily Telegraph:

Betting exchanges have "added another equation to what the stewards need to look for when it comes to betting activity. From watching these betting exchanges over a period of time stewards get an idea who are the account holders, who plays the bookmaker, who plays the punter, there is arbitrage sometimes. . . . We do monitor betting exchange activity on every race, every day."

"We have made a considered decision . . . . to focus a lot of our attention & resources on the nasty drugs, the ones that can alter performance. . . . . We are now out there looking at horses who are getting to trialling stage & EPO may have been used to get that horse supremely fit. We have also tried to make sure that we have access to the best intelligence possible. This relates to the importation of drugs like EPO & gaining information from the relevant Customs authorities & various regulatory bodies. Like, for example, is a particular veterinary surgeon prescribing huge amounts of EPO or is there hospital stock that is unaccounted for?"

"The stewards have shown we haven't been afraid to address jockey-punter relationships. The rules are pretty clear when it comes to jockeys betting or receiving any rewards for betting. We make no apologies for pursuing those matters very vigorously." "I have no doubt commission agent should be licensed. Commission agents can act as SPs by holding on to part of the bet & that is illegal. It also clouds the betting picture because stewards aren't aware of the source of the bets."

Murrihy also told The Daily Telegraph the "biggest threat to racing" is "to maintain & increase the revenue streams. We have moved on so quickly from all the action being on-course, then to having an off-course tote system the envy of the world & today that system is under a lot of pressure from other betting entities. The biggest challenge is to maintain & grow revenue, make it worthwhile for owners to buy horses, trainers to remain in the industry, jockeys to ride in races & for people to be employed in stables."