Ballina Trainer Banned

By Harley Walden

Banned trainer Richard Dicey has been disqualified for three years after stewards completed hearing 10 charges against the former Ballina trainer.

The hearing of these charges had been held over at the request of Dicey since January of last year when his licence was suspended.

Dicey did not appear to answer the charges and the matters were dealt with in his absence by stewards on the material before them.

The charges laid against Dicey were:-

1. Found guilty of failing to keep wages/payment records and/or failing to produce wages/payment records relative to his employment of Robert Brooke between April 2013 and November 2013. Penalty: $1000 fine.
2. Found guilty of failing to register stablehand Robert Brooke for the period of April 2013 to October 2013. Penalty: $300 fine.
3. Found guilty of having three substances/preparations in his stable on November 21 2014, that were not registered and/or labelled and/or prescribed and/or obtained in compliance with relevant State and Commonwealth legislation. Penalty: $400 fine.
4. Found guilty of having in his stable on November 21 2014, a synthetic anabolic steroid, which is a prohibited substance within the meaning of AR177B(2)®, namely boldenone. Penalty: Disqualified for 3 months.
5. Found guilty of failing to provide on November 21 2014, to NRRA chief steward Mark Holloway, a record of treatments for horses in his stable. Penalty: $400 fine.
6. Found guilty of giving false evidence on November 21to NRRA chief steward Mark Holloway, when being interviewed re employment of Robert Brooke. Penalty: Disqualified for 6 months.
7. Found guilty of a charge of behaving in an improper and/or insulting manner towards NRRA chief steward Mark Holloway on November 21 in Dicey’s Ballina stable. Penalty: Disqualified for 6 months.
8. Found guilty of behaving improperly towards NRRA chief steward Mark Holloway at his Ballina stable on November 21 wherby he forcibly man-handled and assaulted Holloway on three occasions by physically restraining him and forcibly grabbing hold of his arm. Penalty: Disqualified for 2 years.
9. Found guilty of a charge of having on January 1, an unlicensed person Dale Stevens assist in connection with the training of racehorses at Dicey’s Ballina stable. Penalty: $300 fine
10. Found guilty of behaving in an improper manner towards NRRA deputy chief steward Bradley Kliese in a telephone conversation on January 1 2015 concerning the stand down of unlicensed person Dale Stevens. Penalty: Disqualified for 3 months.

In assessing penalty in respect to behavioural matters stewards took into account that Dicey was fined $3000 arising out of an improper conduct finding in December 2013.

Stewards ruled that the periods of 6 months and 2 years disqualification imposed in respect to charges (7) and (8) be served concurrently and that all other periods of disqualifications be served cumulatively.

As a consequence, the disqualification, which totals 3 years, will expire on March 22 in 2019.

Fines imposed by stewards total $2,400.