On 12 October 2022, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered two charges issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer-driver John Garnaut under Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 173(1).
AHRR 173(1) reads as follows:
A driver shall not bet in a race in which the driver participates
It was alleged that on 5 April 2022, Mr Garnaut used his wagering account to place two bets on the horse ‘Rojenbye’ in Race 3 at the Mildura harness racing meeting. Mr Garnaut participated in the race as the driver of ‘Rojenbye’.
Mr Garnaut pleaded guilty to both charges before penalty submissions were made on behalf of the HRV Stewards and by Mr Garnaut.
Penalty
Charge 1 - $500 fine
Charge 2 - $500 fine, deemed concurrent with the penalty for charge 1.
VRT Panel: Judge John Bowman (chair) & Mr Robert Abrahams.
The written decisions of the VRT can be found here.
(Please note that VRT Decisions will generally be published within 7-10 days of the date of hearing)