ABC report on Uluru Camel Cup ‘unfounded’: race caller

A POTENTIALLY career-threatening report about the 2018 Uluru Camel Cup has been slammed by Alice Springs Turf Club race caller Pat Comerford.

The running of the Alice Springs Camel Cup in 2018. Picture: NIKKI WESTOVER / Photosbynikki

A POTENTIALLY career-threatening report about the 2018 Uluru Camel Cup has been slammed by Alice Springs Turf Club race caller Pat Comerford.

The report was prepared by Background Briefing described by the ABC as “daring narrative journalism: Australian investigations with impact.

“Our award-winning reporters forensically uncover the hidden stories at the heart of the country’s biggest issues.”

Comerford was employed by the event organiser, Chris Hill from Uluru Camel Tours, to call the day’s races and he helped in other official areas of the event.

These included the calcutta held on Cup eve. Mr Comerford said the allegations of impropriety aired also on ABC radio have not been proven.

He questioned the timing, a year after the event, and a week before the Alice Springs Camel Cup.

“The way the ABC have gone about this could jeopardise my future prospects if I wanted to move on in my career,” he said.

“If I was to be associated with what the claimed my reputation going forward could be tarnished.

“The racing industry is always built on integrity and enforced by controlling bodies in each state.

“My credibility as a race caller could be called into question.

“I have been the race caller full time at the Alice Springs Turf Club for two years.

"The 2018 Uluru Camel Cup was the first time I have called the event and I have also been the race caller for the Alice Springs Camel Cup, which is on again this weekend.

“I was involved in everything so people could accuse me of these allegations by association with the event.

“Implications in the ABC story could have implications on not only me but reputations of other professional people who were involved in the event.”

Mr Comerford said the Background Briefing report used incidents involving Mr Hill in Broome, not related to camel racing, 10 years ago and laws and penalties in the Queensland horse racing industry to help build its story.

He said the report also used the audio of his calling of the 2019 Uluru Camel Cup over footage from the 2018 event to give traction to the report.

For his part Mr Hill did not want to comment on the allegations apart from saying they were “unfounded”.

Mr Hill’s camel tour business has won numerous tourism awards, including 13 Brolga Awards, since he purchased it in 2011.

The 2018 Iron Jack Uluru Camel Cup won the Brolga Award for Festivals & Events last year.

It was for the two days of action and events on and off the racetrack.