A leading Tasmanian greyhound trainer has defended placing a track side bet at long odds on a harness race at the centre of an integrity probe.
WARNING: This story contains images which may distress some readers.
The government has announced an independent investigation into the integrity of Tasmania's harness racing industry after the ABC reported allegations of suspicious races and unusual betting activity in fields dominated by horses from Yole Stables in the state's north.
One of the races highlighted was race nine at January's Burnie Cup, won by Written In Silk, a horse trained by Yole Stables, and owned by leading greyhound trainer Anthony Bullock.
Written In Silk, a roughie, defeated $1.60 favourite Be Good Benny, which is also from the Yole Stable and drew the inside barrier.
Labor racing spokesman Dean Winter alleged in state parliament that Mr Bullock placed a "substantial bet" on Written In Silk at long odds at the Burnie track, effectively tripling the winner's prize money.
"Given the relationship of the owner and the trainer, the suspicious conduct of the race itself, the fact the race caller twice noted the incredible betting plunge in the call, why is it that you think [the Office of Racing Integrity] was unable to find anything to investigate," he asked Racing Minister Madeleine Ogilvie in parliament.
Mr Bullock told the ABC he placed a $700 each-way bet, at a total of $1,400, on Written In Silk, because he thought its recent form meant it should have been at much shorter odds.
"I didn't think it should have been at 26/1, it should have been at 10/1 or 8/1," he said.
He denied having any inside knowledge of the race result, and said he was "100 per cent certain" his betting activity would be cleared by the independent investigation.
"It'll all come out in the wash … that's how I bet, the longer the odds the more money I put on," he said.
He said he bet on all racing codes, and bookmaker Sportsbet had closed his account because "I win too much".
"I didn't have any multis including the horse or anything, and I only placed it on track because Sportsbet wouldn't take money off my account," he said.
"If I knew it was winning why would I have backed it each way?"
Yole Stables has denied all allegations against it as "patently false".
Office of Racing Integrity director of racing Justin Helmich told ABC Radio Hobart on Tuesday that the regulator was aware of most of the claims in the ABC report before it went to air, but not the allegations about a spike in betting activity before race nine at January's Burnie Cup.
"That was the first that the ORI was aware of that betting plunge," Mr Helmich said.
"Stewards have the opportunity when reviewing races to seek information in relation to betting but that doesn't happen in each and every race.
"The stewards in that race found that the actions were satisfactory."
Mr Bullock is currently in the process of applying for a kennel licence, after it was revealed he had been operating without one for a decade.
A kennel licence is required under Tasmanian law for any person who owns three or more dogs.
The West Tamar Council last year approved Mr Bullock's retrospective development application for his Exeter property, but that decision is set to be challenged in the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Horses 'dragged to their death'
Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O'Connor also displayed pictures in state parliament that she said showed Mr Yole's horses being "strung up … and being dragged to their death" at Mr Bullock's property.
"Once Yole's neglected horses reach their use-by date, he sends them down to Bullock to kill, butcher and feed to his dogs," she said in parliament.
"Are these images of horses being led to their death, or strung up carcasses, of butchered bodies and entrails what you would call an industry that's never been in better shape?"
Mr Bullock told the ABC he no longer killed horses at his own property but does kill horses for the RSPCA and a number of trainers, including Mr Yole, at other properties.
He confirmed he fed horse meat to his dogs.
"What do you think they live on?" he said.
He said a photo of a horse hanging from a tree on his property was taken more than a decade ago, and the tree was removed in 2013.
Investigation head appointed
Ms Ogilvie announced in state parliament that former New South Wales chief steward Ray Murrihy had been appointed to head up the independent investigation into the allegations.
"Mr Murrihy has a long and distinguished career providing independent expert integrity advice services to governments, sporting codes and law enforcement bodies," she said.
Terms of reference for the investigation are yet to be finalised.
Labor's Dean Winter said Mr Murrihy's appointment was "groundhog day" for Tasmanian racing, as he was called in 2018 to hold an inquiry into betting activity at several Tasmanian harness races in 2017.
"This week's revelations are clear proof that this inquiry didn't influence any meaningful long-term change and that this government is incapable of making basic changes to improve integrity," Mr Winter said.
"Murrihy's appointment proves that Minister Ogilvie's latest inquiry is more about deflecting criticism of her conduct than actually fixing the serious issues she has helped to create."
Chair dismisses concerns about family industry connections
A Legislative Council committee has also announced a separate investigation into the under-fire Office of Racing Integrity.
The six-member Government Administration Committee, which includes former racing minister Jane Howlett, will look at the functions of the ORI and how the rules of racing are enforced and monitored.
Committee chairwoman Tania Rattray said it would not receive submissions from the public, but would hear from key players including Ms Ogilvie, ORI and Dale Monteith, who handed down an independent review into Tasmanian racing last June.
Ms Rattray, who has strong family ties to the racing industry, said those connections did not preclude her from chairing the committee.
"We live in Tasmania, I mean, if I had to step aside every time I thought there was an issue about being related to someone or knowing someone or having a connection to someone in the industry I wouldn't get my work done at all," she said.
"I've been in the parliament for almost 19 years, so why wouldn't I be a suitable person to be part of this committee inquiry?"
But Ms O'Connor said Ms Rattray and former racing minister Jane Howlett were conflicted and should recuse themselves from the committee.
"Both of them have deep connections into the racing industry and we believe they're both conflicted, and we do not believe they're appropriate people to examine the failures of the Office of Racing Integrity," she said.
