Nick, I honestly can't comment one way or the other about the "topped up" thing these days but you are spot on about the other stuff. No bookmakers and betting on the TAB make it not viable to be messing around with regard to "deadens". It was only a matter of 5 or so months ago that this old bloke (older than me) was trying to tell me at the Ryde-Eastwood Leagues Club that he had, quote "been watching Mantra Lad in his recent starts (on Sky Channel 1000 kms away) and that the trainer had definitely been messing with him". This was the night when he murdered the opposition in the Vic Final of the National Stayers Championship in a track record equalling performance. As an enthusiast I was excited to see him perform so well, I like Mantra Lad, good dog. There was no way you could even reason with this idiot as to why the connections would mess around with such a wonderful dog and in races that carried first prize money such as $25,000 and where would you get enough money on anonymously in future races, to make it worthwhile or get the appropriate "sling" from bookmakers. It made no financial sense in the short or the long-term and I was aware that the trainer had been having cramping problems with the dog. You just can't reason with people like this, they don't know what they are talking about.