Off The Record: Drug allegations against harness racing identities | Adelaide City Council’s missing CEO spotted

This week in Off The Record: Inopportune drug allegations against two harness racing figures, a missing CEO sighting, more council clashes, and an amusing court absence.

The arrests could not have come at a worse time for harness racing. (File image)

This week in Off The Record: Inopportune drug allegations against two harness racing figures, a missing CEO sighting, more council clashes, and an amusing court absence.

Scandal-plagued industry hit even harder

South Australia’s harness racing industry is about to be engulfed by some of the most shocking allegations in its history.

Two well-known figures involved with training and owning horses were arrested this week over a huge drug bust involving $25m worth of methamphetamine.

One has been remanded in custody after appearing in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, while the other is on bail until he fronts court next month.

The names of both are circulating widely throughout harness racing.

The one who has appeared in court is a regular buyer at yearling sales.

The pair were charged by drug squad detectives who pulled over a semi-trailer at Port Wakefield carrying 50kg of methylamphetamine hidden in buckets of horse feed.

One was allegedly inside the truck, while the other was arrested during a search of a property north of Adelaide.

Both men were charged with the trafficking a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug.

Detectives found cannabis, cash counting machines, electronic scales and packaging suitable for drugs during the search.

The arrests could not have come at a worse time for harness racing, which has been struggling nationally with poor crowds, falling turnover and repeated instances of race fixing and doping.

The state’s peak club, SA Harness Racing Club, has been fighting to keep operating at Globe Derby after Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Dini Soulio said a report prepared by a forensic accountant found the club’s “circumstances match several potential indicators of insolvency”.

The financially-embattled organisation is due to hold some of its biggest events on this year’s trotting calendar next weekend in a bid to recapture public interest.

Those are the South Australian Pacing Cup, South Australian Trotters Cup and South Australian Racing Derby.

Missing CEO spotted

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor picked an odd spot to catch up with chief executive Mark Goldstone, who has been on sick leave since January.

The pair met up 10 days ago at Fair and Square Caffe on Wellington Square, North Adelaide, to discuss Mr Goldstone’s health.

If they thought their meeting would go unnoticed, they were very wrong.

Within five minutes of saying their farewells, residents had reported seeing them to North Adelaide councillors Phillip Martin and Anne Moran.

The pair had sought a special council meeting the previous week to discuss Mr Goldstone’s absence and likely return to work.

Their request for the meeting, supported by councillor Greg Mackie, was withdrawn when Ms Verschoor told them he was ill.

Ms Verschoor followed this up with a confidential briefing to elected members on Tuesday night, where she read a short statement from Mr Goldstone, who is receiving his full pay of around $380,000.

The former Prospect Council chief executive told councillors he had been advised by his medical specialists to spend more time away from work to focus on his health.

Ms Verschoor told the briefing she had approved granting Mr Goldstone more sick leave until June 23. Perhaps their next catch up should be at Prospect or Norwood.

Adelaide City Council chief executive Mark Goldstone. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Even playgrounds aren’t free of factional disputes

Emotions ran high this week over revelations the disabled children’s playground devoted to the memory of Quentin Kenihan had a number of safety hazards.

Relatives and friends of the disability advocate and cameo actor in Mad Max were mortified when the problems were made public on Channel 7 by councillor Phillip Martin.

They had been hoping they would be quietly remedied and the safe image of the playground would remain intact.

Martin’s colleague, Anne Moran, sent an email to the council’s infrastructure manager, Klinton Devenish, remonstrating him for being reluctant to answer questions posed by Martin about the potential hazards during a meeting.

She also asked why members of Kenihan’s family, including his mother and sister, had not been invited to the official opening of the playground by Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor last December.

The email prompted a strong response by the leader of the Team Adelaide faction, Alexander Hyde, who constantly clashes with Moran and Martin during meetings.

He rebuked Moran about an offensive remark she is said to have made about Kenihan when he stood for council at the November 2018 elections. He died a few weeks before they were held.

“I take great offence at you pretending to care about the Kenihan family, Anne,” he wrote.

“We all know what you said about Quentin before his tragic passing. It was why he vetoed your desperate attempt to join Team Haese before the last election. Shame on you.”

Moran did not hold back in her response, telling Hyde: “What a disgusting thing to write. I was on Team Haese as his brochure showed.

“I wasn’t and didn’t want to join Team Adelaide. Quentin and I agreed to swap preferences before his sad death. His carer Stu Krill was a witness to that conversation.

“Your nasty behaviour has and will continue to hamper you (sic) rise. It’s unfortunate because you are clever but that is not enough.

“My email to Mr Devenish was entirely appropriate and my amazement that Quentin’s family was not invited to the opening is also quite appropriate.”

It is hard to see relationships improving between the pair any time soon with this sort of correspondence occurring.

The late Quentin Kenihan. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Law left on hold

The Practice Court of Adelaide’s court system is a relatively uneventful place.

The windowless room on the second floor of the Sir Samuel Way Building is where largely administrative matters for civil disputes are heard.

But there were some chuckles on Wednesday when lawyers failed to show up for their allotted 11.10am hearing into a dispute between residents and builders of the Vue apartment tower over concerns the King William St building is a hot-box.

Master Elizabeth Olsson had her associate call the office of Barry Nilsson lawyers to locate the residents’ lawyer, Michael Fotheringham.

The call was broadcast in the courtroom and there were some grins when the receptionist, after receiving Master Olsson’s call, repeated her name as Martha – prompting a swift correction.

The receptionist said Mr Fotheringham was unavailable but when the seriousness of the empty courtroom was conveyed to her she put Ms Olsson on hold and tried to locate his PA.

“I like a bit of Muzak,” Ms Olsson said, the loud on-hold tune attracting a curious sheriff’s officer who popped his head through the courtroom door.

The receptionist returned to advise that the PA was also unavailable and asked if Ms Olsson would like a call back.

Ms Olsson explained why that wasn’t necessary and, after the call, instructed her associate to send an email to Mr Fotheringham seeking an explanation by COB why he had not attended.