Racing: Auckland Cup winner under cloud

The New Zealand greyhound racing fraternity is eagerly awaiting the outcome of an investigation into the eligibility of last year's Auckland Cup winner Hot Agent.

The Australian import - trained in New Zealand by Wayne Steele - had been banned across the Tasman for fighting and it has been suggested he had not re-qualified before lining up in New Zealand.

It is alleged an Australian journalist queried Hot Agent's eligibility by telephone well before the running of the group one event on December 18.

That issue - and other related issues - was raised again in February this year in a letter to the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association (NZGRA) board, signed by 23 Auckland and Waikato trainers and owners.

The letter read: "As licensed persons who abide by the rules of the NZGRA we find it very difficult when the governing body is procrastinating in applying its own rule book.

"Evidence is before us concerning certain licensed persons returning positive swabs, not submitting all Australian form and greyhounds put out in Australia for fighting and not re-qualifying before racing here as is required.

"Some of the above amounts to corruption and would not be good publicity for our industry if the press got involved, especially if the NZGRA is perceived as doing nothing about all cases.

"We would expect the NZGRA to move on these matters and we await with anticipation evidence of that in the near future."

NZGRA chief executive Lance Bickford confirmed this week he and board members had received the letter and he also confirmed an investigation into Hot Agent's eligibility had been launched.

However, he declined to comment on the Hot Agent affair, claiming it was "under investigation".

"I cannot say too much about the Hot Agent incident because it is currently under investigation," he said.

He confirmed chief racecourse inspector Rod Carmichael was heading that investigation.

"Rod Carmichael has been around for many years and is very experienced. I simply don't know what time frame there is for an outcome, that is up to Rod.

"And I don't want to say too much about the [Auckland-Waikato] petition other than to say if they had asked a few more questions they might not have sent the petition in the first place.

"As far as any claims of dog doping are concerned I can assure you no efforts will be spared to ensure justice is done when breaches occur," Bickford said.

Failure to fully disclose all Australian form for dogs imported into New Zealand always had and will continue to be the responsibility of owners, he said.

- NZPA