The decision to allow Ben Yole and other harness racing figures named in the Murrihy Report to return to the track will stun every animal loving Tasmanian.
After months of examining the conduct of Ben Yole and his stables, independent reviewer Ray Murrihy made findings Yole had broken the rules of racing and animal welfare standards.
Murrihy’s report laid out a compelling case about this wrongdoing and provided ample basis for his suspension until full sanctions are determined. TasRacing rightly responded to the Murrihy report with a ban on the Yoles which was overturned on appeal to the Tasmanian Racing Appeals Board, then upheld by the Supreme Court, appealed by the Yole stable and overturned again by TRAB.
Something is terribly wrong with the integrity of the racing industries when a respected investigator can make clear findings about the biggest name in Tasmanian harness racing to the extent TasRacing seeks to ban him from the tracks, and yet he’s racing on Sunday.
The fact Ben Yole will now be allowed back to the track, despite the range of findings made against him by an independent review, is outrageous. Any system that allows this to occur is clearly broken.
Given the seriousness of this matter, we expect TasRacing will now explore every possible avenue to prevent this trainer from being able to participate in the industry while the independent stewards panel determines sanctions against him. A suspension under such circumstances isn’t just reasonable, it’s the bare minimum expectation.
The Greens will be pursuing the ongoing failures of integrity and animal justice in this cruel industry when Parliament returns next week.
