Police Raids

[Kotare_Hunter 748]

26 minutes ago, MisterEd said:

Wonder whether that will breach any USA Visa requirements!

No

[richie 1,027]

1 minute ago, Kotare_Hunter said:

Would he be elligible to plead the fifth at an interview cos in nz he would have the right to silence which is the stance each and every one charged should adopt

I think probably a bit late for silence as police have recorded over 600 phone calls apparently

[Kotare_Hunter 748]

3 minutes ago, richie said:

I think probably a bit late for silence as police have recorded over 600 phone calls apparently

That doesn't matter as its upto a jury to decide.

Anyone who speaks to the police about a criminal matter they are accused off is not only foolish but they are assisting the police to do thier job.

[Alittlebitofknowledge 69]

4 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

hunterthepunter

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• Members
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Posted 18 minutes ago

john blair nigel all clean

 

Someones wrong, its not the first time and it wont be the last on this matter , the rumour mill is working overtime.

Lets leave it to the police to announce who has been arrested and who hasn't.

Think you are in for a little bit of a shock if u truly believe your first line.....especially with 2 of the 3 names...

 

For what it's worth I wish it would all amount to nothing.... but unfortunately I know better! fact not fiction

[Lee270744 684]

Do you think Hunter and Brodie have reached for the Helpline? See what one of those Imbeciles wrote?

Posted 18 minutes ago

john blair nigel all clean

[Ohokaman 5,821]

Michael Guerin‏ @GuerinSports 11m11 minutes ago

More

Multiple sources have now confirmed to me leading NZ driver Blair Orange has been arrested, charges with race fixing or similar and released on bail. He won last season’s premiership. Police press conference in 5 minutes.

 

[Lee270744 684]

1 hour ago, Ohokaman said:

Michael Guerin‏ @GuerinSports 11m11 minutes ago

More

Multiple sources have now confirmed to me leading NZ driver Blair Orange has been arrested, charges with race fixing or similar and released on bail. He won last season’s premiership. Police press conference in 5 minutes.

 

Is this breaking news?

[Shad 1,553]

1 hour ago, Ohokaman said:

Michael Guerin‏ @GuerinSports 11m11 minutes ago

More

Multiple sources have now confirmed to me leading NZ driver Blair Orange has been arrested, charges with race fixing or similar and released on bail. He won last season’s premiership. Police press conference in 5 minutes.

 

Been a delay, held up at the donut shop.

[Lee270744 684]

•  

Posted 11 minutes ago

Michael Guerin: The evidence that could bring racing industry to its knees

 

COMMENT:

Whether the current harness racing race fixing blow ends up a bleeding nose or a gaping wound will almost certainly depend on the contents of texts and phone calls now in police hands.

Some of the industry's biggest names spent at least part of today in police custody, and while unconfirmed, some have already been charged with race fixing or similar offences.

Names at the centre of the investigation named Operation Inca include last season's premiership-winning driver Blair Orange, the man he dethroned for that title Dexter Dunn, and Dunn's brother John, himself a leading driver.

 

The Herald understands at least one other successful Canterbury trainer was extensively questioned by police, while they also visited the stables of champion trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, with Purdon reportedly not part of the investigation.

While police today suggested race fixing and potentially drugs are at the centre of their investigations the Herald was told that illegal performance-enhancing substances used on horses are not the focal point of Operation Inca. The investigation was sparked by information passed to police by the Racing Integrity Unit as early as April last year and police have tapped phones and checked text messages as part of the investigation.

What they found or are still to find in those texts or calls will be crucial to building a case against any of those under investigation because race fixing is incredibly hard to prove. And often even harder to actually achieve.

While there have and always will be those who are suspicious of racing being "fixed", the reality is it has never been cleaner because of technology.

Most trainers and drivers/jockeys don't bet because it is too easy to trace, with bookies openly supplying betting records to authorities.

So any of the people under investigation placing a bet on a race they were involved with would set off alarm bells regardless of the result.

Which is why the spouses of several of those under investigation were also questioned today, to see whether they had placed bets on their partner's behalf. That is almost certain to be a dead end.

What is more likely to end up at the centre of the investigation and any future charges will be betting activities of third parties who bet on information supplied by horsepeople and may have rewarded them for that information.

That in itself is an offence but a relatively minor one.

The real problem for harness racing would be if any of the parties involved colluded to rig a race, supplied that information to a third party and benefited from that information and any money subsequently won. That would have huge ramifications, an iceberg to racing's Titanic.

Text messages, phone calls or face-to-face conversations between punters looking for a tip, even just an opinion, from horsepeople have been going on for as long as there have been phones or racetracks.

So if the text messages, recordings and apparently emails, the latter a seemingly very strange way to fix a race, confirm that any drivers knew each other's plans and passed that information on, then harness racing has a problem like cricket's famous match fixing scandals.

The other option is a punter ringing multiple horsepeople, putting that information together and betting accordingly for their own purposes.

Christchurch-based owner Graham Beirne also had property raided today but was overseas and denies any wrongdoing.

Whether any punter, in New Zealand or overseas, would have the money and more importantly the power to fix a race and convince the people at the centre of this investigation is questionable. Such scams are incredibly hard to pull off, as the mastermind needs drivers capable of controlling the main variables of the race without outside interference.

The money gambled on New Zealand harness races is relatively small compared with overseas thoroughbred action and any unusual transactions are easily spotted and the driving tactics around them noted.

The electronic trail is so pronounced, the telecommunications so easy to track, anybody engaging in prolonged race-fixing would be certain to get caught.

This investigation could last a long time but regardless of how it pans out, to the punting public, perception is often reality, and harness racing's reputation has taken a huge blow.

The irony is this: Orange and Dexter Dunn travelled to almost every race meeting they attended last season together. I spoke to them before, after and sometimes even during those meetings. They are, hand on heart, two of the worst tipsters I have ever met among the leading horsepeople and if your betting strategy was punting on what they thought was going to happen, you would go broke.

But now the racing industry will wait to find out what was said, texted and written.

[Eclipsed 245]

The most dissapointing component is that this was the number one news story on today’s hourly news.There are more serious events/allegations going on in the world right now.......

The charges laid, am picking, will be defended by those accused and that in itself will be well reported on and will thus generate media hype and attention whenever.

Win, lose or draw, this is not the mainstream media coverage that harness racing seeks.Win, lose or draw harness racing will be perceived to be a rort.

HRNZ have a big task in front of them and let’s hope that their Board has the nous to handle this matter to the best possible outcome for the betterment of the Harness Racing indusrty.

[Rusty 575]

Thefixer surely has to be the omen bet for the cup this year. 

Too soon?! 

[2Piper 408]

8 hours ago, lonestar said:

guerin tweeting that Blair orange has been arrested and bailed on race fixing charges

Well you can't really have race fixing without actual drivers involved who drive in the races.  Trainers could tell a driver to drive a certain way but if he/ she is a clean driver they will drive as they see it as the race evolves. Use of drugs can only go a certain amount in way of fixing but can't be relied in. Think there has to be specific accurate accounts for these people under investigation to be prosecuted successfully.  Think it will all come to nought otherwise. ( which I think is the case )

ps. Dunns and Townley already been charged and fined for their supposedly indiscretions. And evidence there weak on the intentions.

[Fartoomuch 1,376]

From what I can see nobody has actually been arrested. Yes lots of reports by journo and tweeters but I can't see anything from police that actual arrests have taken place.

From what I have read any charges will be laid later in  the week.

Have I.missed something.

[Newmarket RC 209]

Seven people have been charged in relation to Operation Inca — an investigation into alleged race-fixing in the harness racing industry.

A 26-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court today on charges of deception by match-fixing, possessing Class B drugs for supply, and supplying Class B drugs.

Four men, aged 34, 40, 41 and 44, are due to appear in Christchurch District Court next week on match-fixing charges.

A 41-year-old woman was also due to appear the same day on two counts of supplying Class B drugs

A 27-year-old man has been charged with deception by match-fixing and is due to appear in Palmerston North District Court next week.

The charges follow raids at 10 stables yesterday in Canterbury, Manawatu and Invercargill

 

NZ Herald

[frankie 119]

Not difficult to work out 6 of those arrested using their ages. Haven't got the Palmerston North one yet.

[Fartoomuch 1,376]

12 hours ago, Lee270744 said:

Do you think Hunter and Brodie have reached for the Helpline? See what one of those Imbeciles wrote?

Posted 18 minutes ago

john blair nigel all clean

I would forget about those 2 ex posters Lee, time to move on.

[Winner69 136]

54 minutes ago, frankie said:

Not difficult to work out 6 of those arrested using their ages. Haven't got the Palmerston North one yet.

PN guy is 47 not 27 according to Knight

[Newmarket RC 209]

Class B (high risk): cannabis oil, hashish, morphine, opium, ecstasy and many amphetamine-type substances

Some drug offences and maximum penalties

In the following list, 'indictment' refers to a conviction dealt with in a Crown Court (with a jury); 'summarily' refers to a conviction in a Magistrates Court.

Possession

• Class A 6 months imprisonment and/or $1,000 fine
• Class B 3 months imprisonment and/or $500 fine
• Class C 3 months imprisonment and/or $500 fine 

Supply or manufacture

• Class A Life imprisonment
• Class B 14 years imprisonment
• Class C Indictment – 8 years imprisonment. Summarily – 1 year jail and/or $1,000 fine

[Iraklis 2,231]

Oh gawd I don't know bout you guys but I'm freakin out, please, just please, don't let me mighty AllStars be part of all this fricken mess, I'm gunna keep the faith and say for the time being I believe Mark, and yes Nat! (I know there are those thinkin Nat is woman involved) would be above all this.....bit worried bout the 41yr old woman etc though, bloody massive mess and the sooner Police get to bottom of it, name names the better......

 

Cheers Iraklis

[Winner69 136]

14 minutes ago, Winner69 said:

PN guy is 47 not 27 according to Knight

......and has ‘a high profile’ in thorougbred industry in a further tweet from Knight

[Kotare_Hunter 748]

13 minutes ago, Winner69 said:

......and has ‘a high profile’ in thorougbred industry in a further tweet from Knight

that is our Honourable Racing Ministers code

[chevy86 2,697]

13 minutes ago, Iraklis said:

, please, just please, don't let me mighty AllStars be part of all this fricken mess, 

 

Cheers Iraklis

I'm guessing they aren't involved but if per chance, that would certainly knock your one-eyed arse in. Along with Fartoomuch. BTW, Guerin should have been all over this with his bestie "Double-D" seeming to be in the frame. JMO which should be permitted as long as it is not centre-right.

[THE TORCH 665]

Werent there a couple of stablehands charged from All Stars for using drugs around horses earlier this year? Sounds like the rumours of it being rife in the code are actually true. 

[Fartoomuch 1,376]

12 minutes ago, chevy86 said:

I'm guessing they aren't involved but if per chance, that would certainly knock your one-eyed arse in. Along with Fartoomuch. BTW, Guerin should have been all over this with his bestie "Double-D" seeming to be in the frame. JMO which should be permitted as long as it is not centre-right.

Why would that be Chevy. Purdon has been winning races for decades and been accused of almost everything known to mankind  re his results. His training,selection and driving record says it all .

You almost sound like you wont them to be involved so you can take another  pot shot and Iralkis and myself like the one above.. Says it all about what type of contributor you are on Harness matters

[Kotare_Hunter 748]

1 minute ago, THE TORCH said:

Werent there a couple of stablehands charged from All Stars for using drugs around horses earlier this year? Sounds like the rumours of it being rife in the code are actually true. 

I seem to remember they are no longer working there.