Smerdon banned for life
FORMER trainer Robert Smerdon has been disqualified for life along with former employees Greg and Denise Nelligan after being found guilty in the Aquanita race day treatments case.
Judge John Bowman handed down the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board penalties yesterday.
Trainer Stuart Webb has been banned for four years, Tony Vasil for three years, Trent Pennuto for two years, Liam Birchley for one year and stablehand Daniel Garland for one year.
Racing Victoria counsel Jeff Gleeson had earlier called for a $100,000 fine for Smerdon on top of his life disqualification while requesting a minimum five-year disqualification for Webb, Vasil, Pennuto, Birchley and Garland.
Bowman said the board would await a written submission from Smerdon’s counsel, Tim McHenry, with supporting financial documentation before ruling on a fine.
It gave McHenry seven days to lodge the submission after which stewards will have three days to respond.
The Aquanita Eight were charged in January after an investigation stemming from Nelligan’s alleged attempt to give Lovani an oral paste at Flemington last October.
Bowman said the penalties reflected the gravity of what had been described as one of the darkest chapters in Australian racing history. He said all eight were, to varying degrees, involved in a plan to insert sodium bicarbonate and tripart paste into horses on race day by way of “top-ups” so as to gain what was thought to be an unfair advantage.
Bowman said Smerdon was the most prominent trainer of the Aquanita Group and also a director.
Smerdon was given the life ban after being found guilty of engaging in a practice that was dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent, improper or dishonourable on 115 occasions.