A magistrate has told a court a country Victorian harness racing trainer's involvement in cheating struck at the heart of the sport's integrity.
Larry Eastman, 60, pleaded guilty in Bendigo Magistrates' Court to five charges and was fined $20,000.
Eastman was involved in the fixing of races at Swan Hill, Charlton and Horsham in 2014.
In each case a horse was given a fatigue-prevention treatment known as 'stomach tubing' or 'drenching' on the morning of a race.
Under racing rules, the treatment is banned within 48 hours of an event because it gives horses an unfair advantage.
Knowledge of the illegal drenching was shared between a network of associates, who all placed bets and collected winnings.
The court heard Eastman made less than $2,000.
"He was desperate," his lawyer, Robert Timms, told the court.
"We have a man who led an exemplary life up until this time of desperation."
The magistrate, Patrick Southey, said that race fixing hurt the sport and the thousands of "honest and hardworking" people it employs.
"This strikes at the heart of the integrity of the sport," he said.
"If the public lose all faith in racing then they're going to turn their back on it."
Eastman said he had succumbed to things he was not proud of.
Fixing probe
The court was told the Shelbourne-based trainer had been involved in the industry since he was 16.
He recently surrendered his training licence.
His offending was uncovered by officers who were investigating race fixing in the Mildura area and got a warrant to monitor his mobile phone.
The court was told that when interviewed by police, Eastman admitted to his crimes and co-operated with investigators.
That probe also led to charges against Mildura's Greg and Shayne Cramp.
The father and son pleaded guilty in 2015 and were sentenced to community correction orders.
The men were also given 12-year bans from harness racing.
Eastman suffered an injury in a training fall last year and the court was told he was unlikely to ever work in the industry again.
