one of NZ dirtiest trainers adds to his pathetic resume

[Jctoronto]

Already sullied by drug and tubing suspension years ago along with lesser charge susp and conviction for race fixing two years ago, New Zealand trainer Nigel Mcgrath right back in the sinbin..horses scratched today at Addison, again caught up in drugging horses.
more details coming.
--is NZ that dirty? Or is it just this multi-time loser?

[Jctoronto]

HERES THE NZ STORY
Friday, 10 April 2020
High-profile horse trainer barred from racecourses

A high-profile Canterbury harness racing trainer has handed in his trainer’s licence after being charged with numerous offences including attempting to administer a banned substance to a horse.
 
Nigel McGrath is facing five charges and has been served with a notice banning him from entering any racecourse.

Harness racing controversy: Bugged phone calls between driver and businessman
Opinion: Bugged phone calls and big betting
His West Melton property was raided by Racing Integrity Unit officials last month.

He has now been charged with:

Attempting to administer with another person a prohibited substance to Steel The Show.
Refusing to make a statement to inspectors regarding his actions.
Obstructing a racecourse inspector(s) in their attempts to seize evidence.
Failure to follow lawful direction when instructed regarding Steel The Show.
Failure to follow lawful direction when requested regarding production of evidence.
McGrath’s property was raided hours before Steel The Show and another horse, Cloud Nine, were due to race at Addington.

RIU inspectors found tubing equipment, used to administer substances to horses, and McGrath and another man at the property.

Steel The Show and Cloud Nine were immediately banned from racing at Addington.

McGrath did not return calls and his lawyer, Pip Hall QC, said he would not be making any comment.

McGrath’s horses have been transferred to other trainers’ stables.

It is not the first time McGrath has been charged with horse doping offences. In 2004 he was caught up in the Blue Magic scandal, and was found guilty by the Judicial Control Authority of administering propantheline bromide to horses before racing.

McGrath was also caught up in the ongoing police investigation into the racing industry, codenamed Operation Inca.

He was charged with a race-fixing offence, which was later dismissed in the district court.

The charge came after raceway stipendiary stewards launched an inquiry after a race at Addington Raceway in March 2018.

They were concerned by the manner McGrath had driven one of the two horses he trained in the race – Star Commander. His other horse, Sheriff, won the race.
The matter was heard by the Judicial Control Authority, during which details of a phone call between McGrath and a big-betting businessman associated with his stable emerged for the first time.

During the phone call, McGrath is asked by the businessman if Star Commander would beat Sheriff.

“Nah. Oh, if it does, it won’t. If-if it ah. Nah, don’t worry, don’t worry about Star Commander. Star Commander won’t get in Sheriff’s way. You don’t want that,” he said.

Betting records showed the businessman put $27,252 on 19 bets, involving wins, multis, quaddies, trebles and a double, on Sheriff to win $37,057.

After originally pleading not guilty to a serious racing offence and a charge of improper driving, McGrath changed his plea to guilty for the lesser charge of improper driving on the second day of the hearing.

He was suspended from driving for six months and ordered to pay costs of $11,500.

The businessman is facing criminal charges in the district court. He has interim name suppression.

 

[PIGLAND]

awsome

[Jctoronto]

Drugging horses horrific we all know

Race fixing horrific we all know

But which is worse?   

..when a 'businessman' calls, hard to hang up..isnt it?

[Fatboy]

Blue Magic scandal should wake a few folks up...

[Jazzman]

im sure he will follow trittons big story to come on standard bred canada

[TimTimTimbo]

That guy is a complete moron. He deserves all the punishment that he gets.

[TimTimTimbo]

Already sullied by drug and tubing suspension years ago along with lesser charge susp and conviction for race fixing two years ago, New Zealand trainer Nigel Mcgrath right back in the sinbin..horses scratched today at Addison, again caught up in drugging horses.
more details coming.
--is NZ that dirty? Or is it just this multi-time loser?

No NZ is not that dirty. He is a multi-time loser.

If you are going to stiff a horse, you do a better job than betting 27,000 plus to win 37,000 plus. In that race, the winner was by far the best horse and the horse that was not running in the money didn't have much of a chance to run in the money anyway. If you are going to cheat, you lock your horse on the fence in behind half a dozen for 2 or 3 races in a row and run down the track and then bet him. That's the way they used to do it.

FWIW, trying to run second in a race can be hard when you have the best horse. My trainer wanted to run second to avoid a penalty if he had won. I thought it was a stupid idea because he was 5 times better than any of the horses he raced against and penalties for standing starts didn't stop him. The maximum penalty at the time for invitationals was 40 meters (like 48 yards). He was such a great beginner, he would make the 40 up before the field had traveled a quarter. I know the trainer told the driver to run second if he could. Well, he couldn't because he held him back with one last sprint and finished like a freight train and won by a nose.  I wanted him to win every race so I was happy. Being that I used to bet big money, I got to bet other people's horses who I know stiffed them and then would open up in a race at 20-1 and we would unload and the horse is like 3-1, Made most of the money with doubles and trifectas because too much on the Win would obviously not be in the best interests of making a ton. You could take what would be a longshot who was live in a TFA and take everything to run second and third and often in a 14 horse field, you would get longshots.

Now as far as doping horses, he needs to pay the price. Some people just don't stop re-offending.

[TimTimTimbo]

Garrick Knight
@GarrickRKnight
I can confirm that Police have laid a LARGE number of new charges in Operation Inca recently. And I mean large.

Looks like more people are about to be in deep shit over there. Let's hope they didn't fuck up this time so that most of the cases get dismissed.

This guy (Garrick Knight) is a well known reporter over there

[TimTimTimbo]

Although someone is the know says it's more bullshit and it isn't going anywhere.
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Fairly common tactic by “plod” .. when they’ve got no credible evidence of race fixing, and each individual to go before the courts has had the charges withdrawn or been discharged without conviction, in a last desperate attempt to save face the Police lay heaps of extra charges to apply more pressure, cost the defendants more in legal fees, then try the old tactic of “why don’t we agree that of your 12 charges we’ll drop say 8 of them if you plead guilty to the others...and tell us what you know”

It’s an old trick and sometimes works, but it won’t work here because they’ve got no evidence, no money trail, no betting irregularities ... just a bullshit fabricated interpretation of common racing vernacular, all being driven by two vituperative cops, one ex and one current ....I know the boys read Cafe so here’s my advice ... tell ‘em to fuck off.. they’ve got nothing based on what I’ve read and there’s only two outcomes here, firstly the charges are withdrawn or dismissed by the judge before trial m, or secondly, it goes to trial and you walk free, easy as once the defence expert witnesses give their evidence and it’s proved the RIU, their expert witnesses, and by association the cops, are all lying, or they’re really fucking stupid .. you’re never going to get convicted

Short of Peter Ellis this will go down in history as the biggest waste of Police resources ever in NZ, and the most unreliable witnesses ever, including but not limited to the original narc Selinger, and the two RIU experts.

Be strong boys, never bend or weaken, this is orchestrated rubbish