Trotting driver Ben Sarina pleads for a second chance after life ban

Disqualified reinsman Ben Sarina is pleading with racing officials for a second chance after his life ban left him with nothing and suffering serious mental health and wellbeing problems.

On the eve of the code’s biggest race, the Inter Dominion, harness racing officials have been warned they risk driving participants towards self-harm if they don’t reconsider re-licencing people serving long-term suspensions.

Warned off racetracks for life over allegations he lied to investigators during the ‘green light scandal’ in 2011, disqualified reinsman Ben Sarina says he’s suffering serious mental health and wellbeing problems from being banned over charges he refutes.

Sarina has been blacklisted for 13 years over what he says is an unfair punishment for not ratting out his own father when he was dying from brain cancer.

He’s tried and failed on several occasions to have the ban lifted and says he’s had enough.

“I’m sick of being treated like a dog,” he told this masthead.

“I didn’t do anything wrong but they’ve warned me off indefinitely for giving false evidence.

“That means I’m not allowed to even go on a race track. I’m not allowed to speak to anyone that’s got anything to do with racing or horses, including my brother. I’ve lost everything pretty much.”

Harness racing driver Ben Sarina

Now 45, Sarina is pleading for a second chance. He maintains he is innocent and can prove it but it hardly matters anymore because the punishment has already caused great suffering to him and his family.

“I’ve lost my missus and kids twice because I just go off the rails,” he said.

“I lost my father, that was real bad. I’ve been to three or four different psychiatrists, I’ve done anger management classes. My poor kids, early in the piece I put them through hell.

“I’ve never ever had any troubles with mental health or anything like that prior to this incident but I can understand why people top themselves.

“I’ve been in some dark places. I’ve never been one for crying. I never cried at my father’s funeral. I don’t get upset. But I have days where I just get very frustrated and down.”

Although he was never charged with any criminal activities, NSW harness racing officials disqualified Sarina for life for allegedly lying to investigators after his phone records showed calls were made to the corrupt stewards who organised the sting.

Sarina insists he didn’t make the calls and can prove it because he was on the track and racing at the same time they were made.

He told an inquiry his father had been in possession of his phone at the same time the calls were made but couldn’t say for sure whether he was involved in the scandal and was reluctant to dig deeper given he had terminal cancer.

“My old man was a hard ass. I had a bad upbringing and I knew when to ask and not to ask,” Sarina said.

“I did ask him once and he said it’s ‘none of your f….ing business’ and that was it so I didn’t ask him anymore.

“Do I believe he was involved? 110% I do. He never mentioned that he’d done anything wrong but I believe he was involved.

“I never threw him under the bus. They asked me about the phone calls to stewards. I said ‘he used my phone but I can’t help you.“

Ben Sarina in the sulky.

The investigators never believed Sarina’s explanation, saying it defied ‘common sense’, so imposed the maximum penalty on him.

Michael Prentice, the chairman of the licensing committee, said the penalties handed out to Sarina, and the rejected appeals, were all in accordance with the regulations to keep the racing code clean.

“Mr Sarina’s matter was initially before a Special Stewards Panel prior to Mr Sarina pursuing his right of Appeal. The penalty imposed was that of the NSW Racing Appeals Tribunal not of HRNSW Stewards,” Prentice said.

“In addition, the NSW Racing Appeals Tribunal found that it did not have jurisdiction to hear recent out of time appeal applications lodged by Mr Sarina.”

But Sarina believes the penalties he got were unfair compared to others linked to the green lights scandal.

Trainer Dean Atkinson was banned for 10 years after pleading guilty to three charges of corruption under Australian Harness Racing rule 241 but has had his licence returned.

Driver Cameron Fitzpatrick, who also confessed to three charges relating to the green light scandal, where corrupt stewards accepted bribes in exchange for assurances certain horses would not be drug tested. Fitzpatrick returned to the track in July after getting his licence approved by the Racing Appeals Tribunal.

Beautide won the Inter Dominion grand final driven at Menangle in 2014 and 2015. Picture: Brett Costello

However Sarina remains on the outer, along with another leading driver Greg Bennett, who has also appealed against the severity of his ongoing ban.

“The thing that annoys me the most is I’ve suffered the worst penalty and I’ve got the least serious charge, mine’s false evidence,” Sarina said.

“They only charged me with false or misleading evidence. Whereas everyone else was arrested, handcuffed and taken away. Some of those blokes are back, they all got a second chance.”

Sarina’s plight has twice been mentioned in state parliament, with questions raised about the apparent inconsistency of penalties but Prentice says everything was done by the books.

“The warning off imposed by the NSW Racing Appeals Tribunal was a permanent warning off,” he said, adding: “As you would no doubt appreciate, each matter consists of individual circumstances and consequently penalties vary.”