Patrick Bartley is racing writer for The Age.
It was on the eve of Savabeel's 2004 Cox Plate when the then Racing Victoria chief, Robert Nason, made the bold call that he would shut down the Spring Carnival if it meant he could get rid of Betfair.
Despite having stood down leading trainers Robert Smerdon and Stuart Webb, pressure still remains on the beleaguered Aquanita training centre and its operations.
Robert Smerdon may have trained his last city winner depending on the outcome of a Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board hearing later in the year after his two-year-old Al Dorama scored in the Meadow Mist Plate at Flemington on Saturday.
One of Australia's longest serving and respected racehorse syndicators, Shelley Hancox, believes that the four Aquanita trainers that were charged with doping earlier this week should be stood down.
If the multiple charges against Aquanita trainers Robert Smerdon, Tony Vasil, Stuart Webb and Liam Birchley, are proven, millions of dollars in prizemoney will have to be returned to Owners, trainers and Jockeys dating back to 2010.
On Tuesday afternoon a Racing Victoria Integrity Department press release laid bare the biggest corruption enquiry seen in racing since the Fine Cotton ring-in.
Australian racing has been rocked by serious charges levelled against eight racing identities, all of them trainers or staff employed by the powerful Aquanita training centre.
Keith McKenzie, who until Monday morning was the oldest living AFL/VFL coach, has died peacefully surrounded by his family, aged 95.
There are lots of power plays going on in sport, politics and business right now. But perhaps none more in earnest than the lobbying around Victoria's soon-to-be introduced point of consumption tax on wagering.
With the main Melbourne meeting at Caulfield having to be moved to Sunday this weekend with the expected 41 degrees on Saturday, the major fixture around Australia will be the Randwick meeting.
Search pagination
Save articles for later.
Subscribe for unlimited access to news. Login to save articles.
Return to the homepage by clicking on the site logo.