Racing Victoria lays hundreds of charges against Group 1 trainers including Robert Smerdon

THREE Group 1-winning trainers, including Robert Smerdon, are among eight racing figures to have been charged by Racing Victoria as one of the sport’s biggest scandals exploded.

A ​GROUP of horse trainers face​ ​bans from all Australian courses ​over ​alleged systematic ​doping​ after one of the biggest probes in racing history​.

​Five trainers and three stable employees ​have been charged with 271 counts under multiple illegal offences​ following a dramatic sting in the Flemington stalls ​as super mare Winx was claiming her 21st consecutive win in the Turnbull Stakes last October.

​It’s alleged that the trainers all linked to ​the high-profile Aquanita ​Racing​​ organisation would dope horses with sodium bicarbonate through tubes inserted in their nose before races, giving them an illegal edge.

LEO SCHLINK: HOW RV LAID ITS TRAP

The charges came after a mammoth investigation into seven years of alleged doping.

Veteran trainer Robert Smerdon is the most high-profile of the accused.

Group 1-winning horsemen Tony Vasil, Stuart Webb and Liam Birchley have also been charged.

Queensland-based trainer Liam Birchley. Pic: Simon Bullard

Birchley has vowed to fight the charges.

“Basically I haven’t seen the brief yet, so I can’t really comment,” Birchley told the Herald Sun.

“But I’ll be defending the charges.

Smerdon faces 115 counts of “practice that was dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent, improper or dishonourable, in that he was a party to the administration of alkalinising agents and/or medication to a horse or horses on race day.”

Smerdon, Vasil, Webb and Birchley all have existing or previous links to Aquanita Racing, a management company which provides administrative services to individual stables.

Melbourne Racing Club chairman Mike Symons is a director of Aquanita Racing. There is no suggestion he is under suspicion for any wrongdoing.

Stablehand Greg Nelligan faces 123 counts, most of them involving alleged doping, while his wife Denise faces 13.

Vasil faces seven counts, disqualified Mornington trainer Trent Penutto (four), Webb and Birchley (three) and stablehand Danny Garland two.

All of the charges stem from a wideranging investigation into the alleged attempted treatment of Smerdon’s mare Lovani at Flemington on October 7.

Leading trainer Robert Smerdon is among the big names charged. Pic: AAP

RV has the power to immediately stand down all eight people.

In a statement, RV said: “The majority of charges relate to alleged raceday treatments of numerous horses.

“In the case of Mr Smerdon and Nelligan, the alleged raceday treatments number in excess of 100 and allegedly occurred in the period from 2010 to 2017.

“Under the Rules of Racing, the stewards have the power to stand down participants prior to any hearing.

“With these serious charges now laid, the stewards are giving urgent consideration to the participants’ continued involvement in racing pending further legal advice.

“Each of the charges against the eight people identified above will be heard by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board on a date to be fixed.”

Lovani in action at Flemington in July last year. Picture: Getty Images

RV chief executive Gilles Thompson said: “These are very serious allegations and the Racing Victoria integrity services department and our stewards have worked swiftly to fully investigate these matters resulting in the laying of charges against eight people today.

“It is vital that in order to maintain a world-class thoroughbred racing industry that we have a world-class integrity regime that is strictly enforced.

“Where we have a breach of the rules, our Stewards and Integrity Services Department will take appropriate action to protect the integrity of the sport.”

The Herald Sun understands stewards have forensically gathered significant evidence of organised doping and related betting activity.

Information uncovered during the case over the past three months paints a scandalous picture.

Authorities last year moved to crack down on illegal race-day treatment, targeting stables suspected of using sodium bicarbonate drenches within hours of a race to get an unfair advantage.

The drenches combat the build up of lactic acid, reducing fatigue — an edge critical in athletic contests.

The story.

One of RV’s integrity initiatives included ordering horses to arrive on course an hour earlier than previously, reducing the window for cheating.

Integrity staff allege float driver Greg Nelligan was observed using a plunger containing a paste on Lovani after taking her into an enclosed staling box at Flemington.

Nelligan was apprehended by officers and the modified syringe was immediately confiscated.

He has also been charged for failing to co-operate with stewards.

The paste contained in the plunger was analysed and found to contain sodium bicarbonate.

During the subsequent investigation, thousands of text messages were uncovered — some with specific details of instructions to “top up” certain horses.

One of those charged circulated images of integrity staff and their vehicles to his staff so they could alert him to potential stable raids.

It’s alleged the trainers involved would dope horses with sodium bicarbonate through tubes inserted in their nose.

As the inquiry widened, some of those under suspicion cracked.

One of the accused is alleged to have been offered several years pay to move interstate and take sole blame for the scam.

But at least two of those charged are believed to have rolled over and provided even more detail to stewards.

Vasil’s horses were briefly banned from being nominated for races because he repeatedly claimed to be too unwell to be interviewed.

He eventually consented to an interview and the ban was lifted.

Several other prominent trainers were interviewed but have not been charged.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges might be laid yet.

Robert Smerdon is arguably the biggest name to have been charged.

Eight people are facing charges.

— with Gilbert Gardiner