The Tasmanian harness racing trainer at the centre of a report that made findings of race fixing, team driving and animal welfare breaches has won an appeal to overturn his “warning off” from Australian racetracks.
Ben Yole, who is Australia’s biggest harness trainer and was found by independent investigator Ray Murrihy to be in non-compliance of a number of harness racing rules, was issued a notice of warning off Tasmanian racetracks by Tasracing early in February.
His brother, Tim Yole, and harness drivers implicated in the report Nathan and Mitch Ford were also issued the notices, which effectively banned them from entering Tasracing-controlled racetracks.
On Friday, Tasmania’s Office of Racing Integrity announced Ben Yole, Tim Yole, Nathan Ford and Mitchell Ford all had won their appeals, with their names removed from the warned-off list.
Under the Australian harness rules of racing, any industry participant who has been “warned off” is unable to participate in the industry at all.
In a statement on Friday, Tasracing said it would “consider the decision fully before providing further comment”, adding this weekend’s fixture at Elwick would not include Yole horses.
“Fields are set for the Sunday race meeting, so they cannot participate.”
The Murrihy report, which sent shock waves through the racing industry, found Ben Yole had worked in concert with drivers in his employ to manipulate the outcome of races to favour his stable.
Mr Murrihy also found breaches of animal welfare laws, including an instance where Yole stable hands “forgot” to remove a tongue tie from a horse for four days following a race, before entering it in a follow-up race.
Mistreatment of animals in wash bays was also alleged by Mr Murrihy, as well as improper race day injection practices and breaches in regard to the administration of medication to horses.
The report was sparked by ABC reporting in March last year that first uncovered allegations of race fixing, team driving and animal welfare breaches against Yole Racing.
Ben Yole has previously denied all allegations made against him.
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