Brett Cook: Ballarat greyhound trainer suspended and fined over foul-mouthed tirade against steward

A steward was branded a ‘f*cking dog’ in an ‘unacceptable’ tirade by a trainer last year.

An amateur Ballarat greyhound trainer called a steward a “f*cking dog” during an “appalling”, potty-mouthed tirade when asked to show proof he had been vaccinated against Covid.

Brett Cook, a Sebastopol concreter who trains a few dogs as a hobby, was earlier this week handed a three month disqualification and fined $1,000 after Victorian Racing Tribunal found he was “deeply remorseful” for calling a steward a “f*cking dog”, among other insults, at a race meeting in October last year.

Mr Cook’s tirade was prompted by what he described as a “rude” demand for him to show his vaccination certificate, which he had not been able to download from the MyGov website.

When confronted by a second steward, Mr Cook said “I’ve been jabbed. I’ve got the f*ckin’ thing” and called the first steward a “f*cking idiot”.

Ballarat Greyhound trainer Brett Cook has apologised for calling a steward a “f*cking dog”. (file photo).

He described the incident as “all f*cking bullsh*t” and said, “Ya not doin’ any inquiry with me. Ya can forget that”.

Mr Cook was eventually escorted out of the racing club.

A racing tribunal panel said Mr Cook was “sensitive about the topic of COVID-19 injections” but had no excuse to treat officials as he did.

“The behaviour was appalling and was behaviour which Stewards should not have to put up with in going about their work,” the panel said in their written reasons sanctioning Mr Cook.

Greyhound racing was one of the select few sports which the Victorian government allowed to continue during the pandemic, under strict conditions, and the racing tribunal said stewards were required to police participants’ vaccination status to avoid the sport being shut down.

Brett Cook said it was “all f*cking bullsh*t” that a Greyhound steward asked him for proof of his Covid vaccination (file photo).

A remorseful Mr Cook co-operated with a stewards inquiry in the days after his foul-mouthed tirade.

Stewards have reported a recent increase in abuse towards them and towards Greyhound Racing Victoria staff, but the racing tribunal found Mr Cook’s tirade was less serious than other instances of abuse.

Mr Cook will be eligible to return to he sport in June.