Stewards get the good oil

THE key to the future growth of Tasmania’s racing industry rests with the performance of the Office of Racing Integrity.

That’s the message Tasmania’s Racing Minister and Deputy Leader Jeremy Rockliff delivered at a stewards’ conference in Launceston yesterday.

“Not so long ago the Government made a decision not to adopt a request to merge Tasracing [racing industry’s governing body] and ORI because it is our belief the two bodies need autonomy for the industry to prosper,” Rockliff said. “An efficient integrity unit is integral to the growth and viability of our racing industry.

“ORI has the big responsi- bility of protecting our racing industry that is responsible for at least $110 million contribution to the state’s economy.

“As a Government we have had to make some challenging decisions to ensure sustainability of the racing industry.

“With Tasracing, the commercial side of the industry, working efficiently with two consecutive small profits, but I know that the key to the future success of racing in Tasmania rests with ORI.”

ORI director of racing Reid Sanders has been in charge of the state’s body of stewards for only two months but in that time he has managed to instil some stability within the organisation.

“One thing the industry was telling me when I first arrived in the state was that it believed ORI didn’t deliver and is a waste of the industry’s money,” Sanders said.

“It is my task to ensure that this is not the case and there are processes in place to correct the issues and there are cases we are working on at present that will make it clear that ORI is definitely not a waste of money. Holding this stewards’ conference with prominent keynote speakers is one of the many steps we are taking to further develop the team within ORI.”

One of the speakers at yesterday’s conference was Syd- ney lawyer Hamish Cockburn, who specialises in commercial litigation and criminal law.

Cockburn delivered actual case scenarios that required interaction from the 20 stewards in attendance.

He discussed at length the need for stewards to place paramount importance of adhering to the letter of the law when dealing with an inquiry.

Another guest speaker was former top steward Ray Murrihy, who before retiring last year was general manager of integrity/chairman of stewards with Racing NSW. Murrihy highlighted some of his experiences during his 20 years as a chief steward and delivered his interpretation of the challenges that stewards face in today’s changing landscape.

Veterinarian Dr Alicia Full- er, who was acting director of racing and ORI general manager for three months, has recently taken on the role of ORI regulatory veterinarian.

She spoke on matters relating to the inspection of animals from a health and welfare perspective.

The integrity manager of Harness Racing NSW, Michael Prentice, headed up a session on stable inspection and evidence collection, which highlighted some new technology used in determining the content of some medications.

Tasracing chief executive officer Vaughn Lynch spoke openly on how the industry governing body functions, as well as highlighting how the industry is funded.

He closed with Tasracing’s views on turnover tracking.