06 March 2013

Public interest derailed by Perna's process

More than three months after Damien Oliver was disqualified by Racing Victoria for betting $10,000 on a rival runner, the man charged with investigating the affair is yet to interview a single participant.

"I've been working with RVL to get all the documentation together," Racing Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna told Turf Confidential last Wednesday, exactly 100 days since Racing Minister Denis Napthine called on him to investigate Racing Victoria's dismal handling of the matter. 
"I've examined the bulk of the information but there's still a couple of items I still need to get from RVL.
"I should be able to start interviews next week."
Blow us down with a feather. This farce, which dragged the 2012 Melbourne Cup Carnival through the mud and left an ugly stain where Victorian racing's good name used to be, is being interrogated with all the rigour of rigor mortis.

Process is clearly strangling this Commissioner's sense of urgency.