By MIKE DILLON
It will be sad of we don't get to see Kevin Myers on Trackside Television again.
Even sadder if we see a dwindling of numbers of fellow trainers refusing to offer their opinions of their horses' chances on television as a result of "Dummy" Myers being fined $3000, with costs of $2000, for bringing racing into disrepute with his on-air comments before and after Stacey Jones won the Dunstan Waikato Hurdles on May 19.
Myers pleaded guilty at yesterday's judicial hearing at Ellerslie Racecourse, seemingly happy to put the issue behind him, but you were left with the impression he felt he had been harshly done by.
The charges essentially were for talking down his horse's chances, a dangerous area in which to declare hard and fast rules.
A letter from NZ Trainers' Association chief executive officer Mary McCarty, tabled at the start of yesterday's hearing, included: " ... I have had a number of members contact me to confirm they will not be appearing on Trackside again in the future. Others have been advised by their owners not to discuss their horse's chances on Trackside. Many others are concerned regarding any possible penalty which could be brought down upon Mr Myers and the impact that could have with regard to other trainers and their pre-race and post-race comments."
Myers knows he made a silly, even stupid, comment and apologised yesterday for having done so, but emphatically denied he deliberately set out to deceive punters.
In a statement read by his counsel, Auckland barrister Paul Davison QC, Myers said: "I acknowledge that the media interpretation of my comments, in which it is suggested that I deliberately set out to mislead punters into thinking Stacey Jones had no chance in the race, when I was confident he would perform well, might initially have the appearance of not being in the best interests of racing.
"But the reality of the situation was that while I was hopeful that the horse would do well and had encouraged the owner to come to New Zealand to watch the race, I could not be sure of its success.
"My remarks after the race were tongue in cheek and, obviously in hindsight, somewhat foolish. But I did not intend to convey to the interviewer that I had deliberately discounted the prospect of success in the pre-race interview with the intention of putting the public off backing the horse so as to provide a better dividend for my client owner.
"I certainly did not deliberately act to achieve an outcome such as that, and had I been minded to do that, I certainly would not have been making a statement such as I did in the pre-race interview.
"It was unfortunate that I was interviewed after the race in an impromptu manner resulting in me making something of a smart and ill-judged remark which was intended to be funny. I sincerely regret the consequences of my remarks and the way in which the whole matter has been seized by the media as showing me as a person who was involved in some inappropriate attempt to mislead punters."
Yesterday's judicial chairman, Paul Kenny, readily accepted there was no suggestion of corrupt practice or that Myers had gained financially from his comments.
So then how do you view a case where, had several people other than Myers acted differently, there would almost certainly been no case at all?
Sadly.
Kevin Myers has paid heavily for his indiscretion, but will remain one of racing's good guys. He came from the bottom of the heap and has proved many times he is talented and smart. "Racing's been good to me," he said while waiting for the decision yesterday.
"I bought my farms from the horses, nowdays the cows pay for the horses. I don't really need to do this, I could close the gates and live off my milk cheques."
Myers said the support he has received has been exceptional.
"Five of my owners have given me blank cheques to pay the fines with, not that I'll be using any of them."
Only minutes before being called back into the hearing for the judgment, Paul Davison approached his client. "Don't look so glum," he said, "it's not the gallows you'll be going to."
Myers did not even draw breath.
"I'm trying to work out how much a minute you're costing me," he said.
At least the humour on this occasion had been understood.
Racing: Punters may be the big losers
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