Last year Ryan Duffy copped a 12 month DQ from the Victoria Racing Tribunal helping his mate milkshake a horse, taking the bolt when the Stewards turned up and caught them in the act, and lying through his teeth about the whole thing.
He deserved the DQ too.
The RV Stewards thought Duffy deserved more, and appealed on the grounds that the spell was too light.
Duffy fired back that the sentence weighed too much.
VCAT Member Mr Reynah Tang AM, a former tax lawyer specialising in the Federal and state tax issues associated with mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and major projects, called it a draw.
Mr Tang AM upheld the VRT’s original decision, meaning it was all a waste of time and money and Duffy still had 12 months.
There were two striking features of the case.
The first was the demonstration of Member Tang AM’s deep knowledge of harness racing.
Describing Ryan Duffy’s deep remorse (yeah good; sucker), the Member had this to say.
it was Mr Duffy’s first offence and, while his remorse may largely reflect the impact that the disqualification has had on him (eg. missing out on the chance to ride his father’s horse in the Interdominion in Sydney), there is no reason to doubt that he has learnt his lesson.
I am afraid someone has to break the bad news to Tang AM sometime, so it may as well be me now.
Sir, the Inter Dominion is a not a Monty.
They drive the horses in carts, without mounting a saddle.
Given Mr Tang AM’s lack of life experience at the trots we can probably forgive him his ignorance.
But Ryan Duffy grew up on the track, and thus should know better than to do what became the second striking feature of the case.
Duffy slagged off his mate and another trainer.
He described his co-milkshake delivery down the nostril man Zac Steenhius as a serial offender, and said he deserved his 18 month lag.
Then he slagged off Joe Bajada big time, calling him a serial offender too and saying that his atrocious behaviour continued unabated.
Forgot the irony of the fact that Bajada’s ‘atrocious behaviour’ was exactly the same as Duffy’s, and focus on the give up.
What Duffy said might be true, and as an independent writer I am at liberty to say it, buy Ryan Duffy is part of the trot clan, and members of that august society are bound by a few unwritten rules.
You don’t bag other clan members, you don’t screw other trot people’s husbands or wives (although that rule appears quite flexible, in more ways than one), and you don’t give up your enemies or your mates.
I don’t think Duffy will be too popular when he comes back.
His best bet might be to go to Sydney.
I hear Turbo Trainor might have a couple of jobs going soon.
He’s flexible too.
Click to access Harness%20Racing%20Victoria%20v%20Duffy%20(RT%20aa%20010322).pdf