Trainer Mark Riley quits racing after three-year disqualification reinstated by Cout Of Appeal

TRAINER Mark Riley said he was finished with racing after his three-year disqualification was on Wednesday reinstated by the state’s highest court, the Court Of Appeal.

MORNINGTON trainer Mark Riley said he was finished with racing after his three-year disqualification was on Wednesday reinstated by the state’s highest court, the Court Of Appeal.

“They’ve done me a favour. I’ve had enough. I’m finished with it,” Riley said.

Riley trains 20 horses. They will be transferred to Logan McGill, who trains from the same property. It is owned by Riley’s wife, Lisa, under her trading name of ­Glenhuntly Lodge.

HARTNELL SWITCH OPENS DOOR FOR SUPER SHOWDOWN

COBALT CASE: VET DENIES SUPPLYING VITAMIN BOTTLES

Riley said he was going overseas on Friday for an ­indefinite period “just to get away from it all after two years of stress”.

His disqualification begins on Saturday week.

Riley was initially disqualified by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board in January last year for an elevated TCO2 (bicarbonate) reading from Gold For Kev after the horse finished 11th at Sandown in July 2014.

Riley appealed unsuccessfully to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and then in October last year to the Supreme Court, where he won.

Racing Victoria appealed that decision, and on Wednesday had it overturned by the Court of Appeal.

The RADB found Gold For Kev had a TCO2 reading of 37.1 millimoles per litre of plasma, breaching the legal limit of 36.0. The reading was rounded up from 37.061 to 37.1 and an error margin of 1.0 applied in finding the level had been ­exceeded.

Riley argued the Rules of Racing did not permit “rounding up”.

Court of Appeal judges Justice Chris Maxwell, Hartley Hansen and Robert Osborn disagreed with the Supreme Court’s decision, saying rounding a prescribed concentration to one decimal place was how an accredited laboratory ­expressed its measurement of concentration.

Riley was ordered to pay Racing Victoria’s costs.

Mark Riley will head off on an overseas holiday on Friday. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Riley has had a turbulent career as a trainer. His biggest success was with sprinter Mookta, who won the 1994 Newmarket Handicap and Oakleigh Plate.

In 1999 he took up a contract to train in Dubai but that was cancelled after he was caught using a stockwhip on two of his horses.

Riley returned to Victoria, but was disqualified in 2001 for two years after illegal spurs were discovered on his ­Moorooduc property.

As a 16-year-old Riley rode Mistress Anne, trained by his father Martin, to win the ­1979 Oakleigh Plate.

In recent years he had success with Gold Salute (Winter Championship), Gold In Dubai (2011 Ipswich Cup), Innocent Gamble (Blue Diamond preview), Of the Brave (Blue Diamond Prelude) and Jolie Blonde (Listed Hareeba Stakes).