We all know stories of the old characters of the Australian turf. There were rogues that were always after an edge. Sometimes these plunges and scams came off, but other times they didn't. Plenty of the stories became folklore in Australian Racing, but then again so did Ned Kelly. No one today would accept that the wild colonial past of Australia is still a viable model for today, and the racing industry has to be no different.
The Damien Oliver fiasco has harmed racing in so many ways. It is simply not acceptable for a jockey to back another runner in a race. The rules state that a jockey will not bet on horse racing. Clearcut and final. Oliver breached these laws and must be punished. The fact that he was allowed to continue riding after the breach was discovered is a blight on racing.
I was always told that not only do you have to do the right thing, but you must be seen to be doing the right thing. Administration of racing must be transparent, and must uphold the strictest standards. They failed in this case on so many levels.