Leo Schlink: Damning text messages paint disturbing picture of alleged horse doping
THE identities of the Moth, Big Boss, Goat and Little Mate were largely hidden from view for the best part of a decade. Sounding like characters out of Underbelly, they figure prominently in potentially “the biggest racing inquiry” in Australian history.
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FOR the best part of a decade, the identities of the Moth, Big Boss, Goat and Little Mate were largely hidden from view. The man known as MasterChef was equally obscure.
Sounding like characters out of Underbelly, these people — and their activities — might have been known only to a select few. But all figure prominently in what has led to potentially “the biggest racing inquiry” in Australian history.
ACCUSED RACE DOPING TRAINERS’ MESSAGES EXPOSED
TEXTS REVEAL BRAZEN ALLEGED DOPING UNDER NOSES OF RACE OFFICIALS
Aquanita Inquiry evidence seen by the Herald Sun paints a disturbing picture of alleged long-term doping, much of it allegedly carried out on city tracks at major meetings under the noses of integrity officers.
Eight people, including three Group 1-winning trainers, have been charged with 271 counts of breaching racing rules relating to illegal race day treatment.
“This will potentially be the biggest racing inquiry I can remember, given the number of charges and number of people involved,” Judge John Bowman said at the Aquanita probe’s first directions hearing.
He is not exaggerating.
The charges stretch from 2010 to 2017 — and the investigation is by no means over.
Racing Victoria stewards claim the case against the trainers and former Aquanita Racing staff revolves around text messages, which allegedly reveal information about race day treatment.
RV’s barrister Jeff Gleeson, SC, put the stewards’ belief succinctly.
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“The stewards’ case will be there was a circle of trust among participants. They knew and they knew others did not know,” Gleeson said.
Moth, Big Boss, Goat, Little Mate and MasterChef are not charged under those names but, according to text messages seen by the Herald Sun, they were in the circle of trust.
Stewards believe that Robert Smerdon, Stuart Webb, Tony Vasil, Liam Birchley, Trent Pennuto, Greg and Denise Nelligan and Danny Garland were part of a sophisticated doping cabal.
Evidence based on text messages appears to show Greg Nelligan, often acting on Smerdon’s instructions, routinely gave horses sodium bicarbonate “top-ups” on a variety of tracks — sometimes only minutes before races.
After avoiding detection for years, despite Racing Victoria’s multi-million annual expenditure on surveillance and integrity enforcement, Nelligan was finally nabbed at Flemington last spring.
Stewards charged the stablehand and float driver with using a modified syringe to administer a performance-enhancing top-up to Smerdon’s mare Lovani in a horse urinal on October 7.
It’s alleged Nelligan timed his move with precision to coincide with the moment champion mare Winx took to the track for the Turnbull Stakes, in the belief nobody would be watching him.
He was wrong.
Under an upgrade of integrity measures, Turnbull Stakes day was the first meeting at which horses had to be on course three hours before racing, rather than two. The timing change was designed to foil the cheats who illegally drench horses behind closed stable doors and in trucks before taking them to the track.
Timing is vital to the effectiveness of clandestine tubing.
So is accuracy. The permitted TCO2 (plasma total carbon dioxide) level is 36mmol per litre. Most horses naturally range from 28 to 30.
Industry experts believe the top-ups allegedly used by Nelligan — after horses were bloodtested pre-race on-course and cleared to run — would have pushed them over the limit, arming them with a significant edge. Then, TCO2 levels generally plummet after exercise, rendering post-race tests ineffective
Stewards now claim Nelligan and his co-conspirators were interested in audaciously doping horses on track, inside an hour of racing and often with security staff close by.
Lovani was due to race at 5.45pm. At 3.08pm, Nelligan made his move, leading the mare into the staling box.
Stewards allege Nelligan followed a routine he knows better than most.
As Nelligan casually fished out a plunger, RV’s Compliance Assurance Team swarmed into the box.
What prompted investigators to focus on Nelligan on that particular day is the subject of much discussion.
A tip-off, perhaps.
Nelligan was escorted to the stewards’ room.
His mobile phone was confiscated, and Lovani was scratched from the race.
Nelligan is believed to have claimed he was a lone wolf, supposedly acting alone, in line with a hatched contingency plan.
But the recovery of thousands of text messages, implicating Moth, Big Boss, Goat and Little Mate, soon led to more familiar names.
The goldmine of evidence provided stewards with a historical road map to horses that were allegedly doped, to tainted wins, and to some of the biggest names — human and equine — in racing.
Nelligan was stood down two days after the Turnbull Stakes.
In quick succession, Smerdon stood down from the Aquanita board position he occupied with company chairman Peter Howell and Mike Symons, the Melbourne Racing Club chairman.
Along with Webb, Garland and Denise Nelligan, Smerdon then voluntarily stood down from his role as trainer.
Pennuto already is serving an unrelated disqualification.
Birchley has said he will plead not guilty when the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board begins hearing the case on April 30.
No other person has entered a plea.
A second directions hearing next week will shape the next phase of a gripping inquiry.
In the meantime, the notoriety of the Moth, Big Boss, Goat, Little Mate and the MasterChef grows.
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