Hulls vows to keep racing clean

THE State Government has moved to reassure punters about the integrity of Victorian racing after revelations alleged underworld crime boss Tony Mokbel has laundered millions of dollars through the industry.

Racing Minister Rob Hulls yesterday said the acting judge he had appointed in March to review the integrity of the industry had the power to investigate the latest allegations and refer any evidence of criminal activity to the police.

The Age revealed on Saturday that several jockeys and trainers had received cash from Mokbel in return for tips about horses, and that industry figures had bought horses from him and his associates and rented properties owned by the Mokbel family.

Before leaving on an overseas trip on Saturday, Premier John Brumby urged anyone with information about alleged illegal activity involving Mokbel and racing figures to contact police.

"Everyone would say the Victorian racing industry is the best and the cleanest in Australia," Mr Brumby said. "It's the biggest and it's got the best reputation, and we want to keep it that way."

Mr Hulls, who is acting Premier, flagged the prospect of an independent watchdog being created to oversee integrity issues in the Victorian industry.

He said Acting Judge Gordon Lewis — commissioned to review the way the industry protects its integrity after a betting scandal involving disgraced former Racing Victoria chief executive Stephen Allanson — could recommend an independent watchdog when he reports to the Government in August.

"I don't want to pre-empt his recommendations, but it may well be that he looks at excising out the probity structure from Racing Victoria and setting up an independent body," he said.

He also foreshadowed a possible push by Victoria for new laws in all states to regulate "commission agents" — people who place bets on behalf of others for a fee.

The Age reported on Saturday that several associates of Mokbel had bet on his behalf for almost a decade, and that Victoria's chief racing steward Des Gleeson was calling for legislative reform so authorities could keep track of such transactions.

Mr Hulls said any such changes would have to be uniform across the country because betting crossed state boundaries.

If Mr Gleeson put a case to him for a national legislative regime on commission agents, he would take it to the next meeting of state and territory racing ministers.

Mr Hulls also backed the integrity of former Racing Victoria chairman Graham Duff, after The Sunday Age reported yesterday that Mr Duff was warned against sharing ownership of racehorses with a businessman involved in a property deal with Mokbel.

Mr Duff denies he was warned about his association with horse breeder Norm George. Mr Hulls noted Mr Duff's denials and said he had done a great job as chairman, from 2001 to 2007.