smh.com.au
SOUTH Australian bookmaker Curly Seal yesterday admitted to betting
into UNiTAB tote pools after taking bets on greyhound races, as the
battle with Sydney punter Eddie Hayson to be paid over last month's
Gold Coast dog sting intensified.
Hayson and colleague Steve Fletcher backed the greyhound Lucy's Light
to win at the Gold Coast in December and after securing UNiTAB odds
with Seal, they manipulated the return for what should have been a
$1.10 favourite to a final dividend of $13 after placing significant
bets on the dog's five rivals with UNiTAB.
The punters claim Seal owes them about $700,000. However, Seal lodged a
complaint over the betting on the race with the SA Office of Liquor and
Gambling, claiming their activities were fraudulent.
Julie Hall, assistant to the office's commissioner, yesterday said the
already prolonged inquiry would take at least "another couple of weeks"
after the office requested UNiTAB betting transactions for the race
from the Queensland Office of Gaming Regulation.
Hall said she had received Seal's betting records from the race but
wouldn't say whether the bookmaker had attempted to manipulate the
UNiTAB pool on the race himself by having a large wager on Lucy's Light.
Seal said he was "unable to comment" on the race in question, but did
say: "As a general rule, it is not a secret that I bet back with other
bookies and I bet back with UNiTAB. If I want to reduce my exposure on
a race, I'll have a bet back."
Seal held more than $50,000 on Lucy's Light, and with the dog paying
$1.10 on UNiTAB leading up to jump with a small amount in the win pool,
any large wager on the dog by Seal would have meant he stood to win
from the punters if the dog lost or pay a money-back dividend of $1 if
it won, meaning he would have no risk.
"He was outsmarted at his own game," Hayson said of his and Fletcher's
ploy to force Lucy's Light's price out just seconds before race jump.
"And if he had $5000 in the dog on UNiTAB, at least he would have
collected $65,000 already."
Seal yesterday denied racetrack rumours he was stalling payment in a
bid to attempt to declare himself bankrupt and avoid having to shell
out $700,000.
"I can cover it," he said of the pending payout.
Still with bookmakers, the inquiry involving controversial Sydney
bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse, his son Tom Waterhouse, and bets in the
name of Sydney punter Sean Bartholomew is likely to reconvene next
Monday.
Racing NSW stewards launched an inquiry with the Waterhouses at
Randwick on Saturday night after finding "irregular" activities
concerning bets that were placed in Bartholomew's name, then bet back
with interstate operators before the original wager was cancelled
seconds later.
The bets were mostly in $100 and $200 investments, whereas Bartholomew is known to bet in much larger figures.
Stewards had planned to continue the inquiry on Thursday but with
racing on at Randwick, elected to move it to the later date.
Bartholomew was not present on Saturday night to give evidence but said
yesterday he was happy to assist stewards.
Meanwhile, Melbourne-based apprentice Blake Shinn was yesterday
suspended for 12 meetings after being found guilty of careless riding
at a Kyneton meeting last week.
