Leo Schlink wins Walkley Award for The Big Fix

Herald Sun chief racing writer Leo Schlink has won the Walkley Award for sports journalism for his investigative work The Big Fix, a scoop that revealed thousands of explosive text messages at the heart of a horse racing doping scandal.

Herald Sun chief racing writer Leo Schlink has won the Walkley Award for sports journalism for his investigative work The Big Fix.

Schlink’s exclusive report revealed thousands of thousands of explosive text messages at the heart of a horse racing doping scandal.

The texts lifted the lid on how a group of trainers and stable staff allegedly evaded Racing ­Victoria’s security network for years to dope champion horses with performance-enhancing sodium bicarbonate.

ACCUSED RACE DOPING TRAINERS’ MESSAGES EXPOSED

TEXTS REVEAL BRAZEN ALLEGED DOPING UNDER NOSES OF OFFICIALS

REVEALED: HOW LEO SCHLINK BROKE DOPING STORY

Leo Schlink has taken out a prestigious national journalism award. Picture: Tony Gough

The front page of the Herald Sun on February 21.

Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston said on Thursday night: “Leo’s scoop exposed one of the greatest corruption scandals in Australian sport.

“The text messages revealed in Leo’s report gave readers a real-time insight into the scam as it unfolded.

“This was investigative journalism at its best.”

RACING VICTORIA LAYS HUNDREDS OF CHARGES

Schlink’s report also cleaned up at the Victorian Racing Media Awards on Monday when he was awarded the Bert Wolfe Award for outstanding journalism, and also the Best News Story award.

FULL SUPERRACING COVERAGE HERE.