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Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Flemington trainers are furious after patrons attending a music festival at the track broke into several high-profile stables and let valuable racehorses out of their enclosures.
More than 40,000 music fans on Tuesday flocked to Flemington for the Big Day Out, which travels to all capital cities in Australia in January and February.
Top trainer Mark Kavanagh’s stables were among those targeted while the Peter Snowden and David Hayes yards were also targeted.
A Flemington source, who did not wish to be identified, said one trainer had 26 horses released from their boxes while other trainers had staff on hand who were able to chase the trespassers out of stables.
The source said trainers alerted Big Day Out security to the fact patrons were attempting to enter the on-course stables but the trainers allege no action followed from guards.
“The people were trying to go through stables to get into the Big Day Out without paying,” the source said. “When they didn’t get in, they decided to do stupid stuff like this.”
“Security did nothing. They weren’t horse people. They had no idea of the damage that could have been done.”
VRC chief executive Dale Monteith confirmed the incident saying the club would introduce procedures for future festivals to ensure there was no repeat of the mayhem.
"Unauthorised entry into any premises at, or surrounding, the racecourse is a very serious matter and one which the VRC will investigate in full with the assistance of police and other parties as required,” said VRC Chief Executive Dale Monteith.
Monteith said an investigation will be launched immediately but declined to comment further on the incident.
01-27-2010, 04:46 PM
Hoons Let Loose Flemington Horses
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