Investigation to continue into RV leaks

Racing Victoria will continue to investigate the leaking of information which has led to the resignation of its chairman David Moodie despite him being cleared as the source.

Moodie tendered his resignation at an RV Board meeting on Thursday where a report from Racing Integrity Commissioner Sal Perna was tabled.

Then an RV Board member, Moodie was named during the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal appeal of Danny O’Brien and Mark Kavanagh over their disqualifications for cobalt use as the person who told fellow trainer Peter Moody in January 2015 of their positives.

Perna’s report exonerated Moodie as the source of the leak.

Acting RV chairman Mike Hirst said the leaking of information had the potential to compromise stewards’ investigations.

“There’s a few things that need to happen,” Hirst told RSN927.

“We need to have a look at the processes around these matters right from the laboratories, to RVL, right through to wherever information might pass.”

Hirst said Perna’s report had not been prepared to prosecute people and would not be released.

He said it provided the board with information to deal with the matter and to deal with improving the processes so something of this nature did not happen again.

“We will be further investigating but whether or not we’ll be in a position to let everybody know names of what that investigation might turn up is another thing entirely,” Hirst said.

“Releasing that report could open Racing Victoria up to legal action.”

Hirst said Moodie and his family had been under pressure during the investigation and understood why he had decided to resign as chairman after standing down in October pending the investigation.

With Hirst now acting chairman until the next RV Board meeting in February, he said a new chief executive may be finalised before Bernard Saundry leaves the post at the end of the month.

As chief executive Bendigo and Adelaide Banks, Hirst said he would need to discuss with his family and employer whether he can take on the chairman’s role full time and that it was also a matter for the RV Board to consider.