The Tasmanian government will scrap the Office of Racing Integrity after claims of race fixing and animal cruelty in the harness racing industry were upheld in an independent report.
The review, conducted by racing integrity expert Ray Murrihy, found that the regulator had ignored allegations of team driving, race fixing and animal welfare concerns.
Racing Minister Felix Ellis publicly released the review on Wednesday and said it marked a “dark day for racing in Tasmania”.
“The Report clearly demonstrates a regulator that has serious issues relating to complaints handling, a lack of policies and procedures, lack of leadership, accountability and transparency,” Ellis said.
“The Report makes findings that individuals within the industry have engaged in team driving, race fixing and animal abuse.”
“This is not good enough by anyone’s standards and demonstrates what can happen when a regulatory model fails. We cannot walk past the findings in this report – we won’t walk past it, and we are taking action.”
He said the Office of Racing Integrity will be abolished and the replaced by a “tough new cop” in the form of a Tasmanian Racing Integrity Commissioner.
“If the industry is to survive, Tasracing needs to improve competition immediately, even if this means some short-term pain with smaller fields and reduced race programs,” Ellis said.
Leading harness trainer Ben Yole will become the subject of an inquiry after he was found to have breached multiple rules of racing.
The report detailed evidence of physical abuse towards horses at the Yole Sidmouth training property, with horses being frightened and terrorised in the wash bay area.
Independent MP Kristie Johnston said the reports confirms “harness racing is rotten to the core” and questioned by Yole has been allowed to race since Minister Ellis received the report in December.
“All we get after almost a year’s worth of investigation is another investigation … The Government and Minister Ellis need to act. Harness racing in Tasmania must be suspended. Leading trainer Ben Yole must be suspended,” she said.
“The whole industry, across all three codes is in a mess. ORI and Tas Racing have shown they are not up to the job and the Minister is putting blind faith in a yet to be realised reform that puts the fox in charge of the hen house.”
“There needs to be a new broom put through the lot of them.”
