Wife of disqualified trainer set to train

The wife of disqualified trainer Shannon Hope has been successful in a legal battle with Racing Victoria to be granted a restricted trainer’s licence although a number of additional conditions have been attached.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has this week ruled Deirdre Hope be given a restricted licence, with certain stipulations..

Hope took the matter to VCAT after her application for a restricted licence was refused by Racing Victoria in February because she was judged a close associate of a disqualified person.

Shannon Hope and his father Lee Hope, who trained in partnership, are both serving three-year disqualifications for cobalt offences, with their bans starting in January after a long-running case.

Among the conditions of the VCAT order is that Deirdre Hope have no more than six horses in training at any one time.

The horses in her care are not to race with the Hope Racing colours (red and blue hoops, white sleeves) and that she not train for Hope Racing Pty Ltd.

She can not be employed by any company in which Carol Shinn (Lee Hope’s partner) holds shares.

Hope is also not to train or have a licensed training premises within 2km of where she and Shannon Hope live and if she brings paperwork or computers associated with the business home it must be located in a secure area and not accessible to her husband.

Stewards must also be made aware and give clearance before stable returns are lodged declaring Hope to be the trainer of a horse.

RV has 28 days to consider an appeal.