Australian punter Glenn Pollett has been fined A$10,000 by Racing NSW stewards over the controversial comments he made regarding jockey safety on The Punters Show on June 6.
Pollett – a punter and horse racing pundit – was summoned to appear before the stewards on Thursday for his controversial assertion that punters “don’t care” about jockey safety and welfare.
“People like Tye [Angland] and jockeys like that, they think we care about them,” Pollett said in a video published at www.puntersshow.com.au.
“We don’t care. We want to bet. Is anyone thinking about [quadriplegic former jockey] Ray Silburn in his wheelchair out the back of Goulburn? Not me. It’s an awful thing that happened to him but life moves on. We want to bet.Punters don’t care [about jockeys]. We want to bet. Just to let all the jockeys out there know, I don’t care.”
Pollett pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- Conduct prejudicial to the image &/or interests of racing –
AR 175A. Any person bound by these Rules who either within a racecourse or elsewhere in the opinion of the Committee of any Club or the Stewards has been guilty of conduct prejudicial to the image, or interests, or welfare of racing may be penalised.
- Improper Conduct –
AR 175. The Principal Racing Authority (or the Stewards exercising powers delegated to them) may penalise;
(q) Any person who in their opinion is guilty of any misconduct, improper conduct or unseemly behaviour.
- Making comments that were obscene, offensive and abusive on a social media channel-
AR 175. The Principal Racing Authority (or the Stewards exercising powers delegated to them) may penalise;(qq) Any person who in their opinion, is guilty of engaging in the publishing or posting on any social media platform or channel any material, content or comment that is obscene, offensive, defamatory, racist, threatening, harassing, discriminating or abusive to any other person or entity involved in the racing industry.
A$5,000 of Pollett’s A$10,000 fine has been suspended for a period of two years, with Pollett’s clean 36 year record in the industry, guilty plea, expression of remorse, apology and personal circumstances at the time of the offence all cited as mitigating factors.
Pollett indicated that he was unlikely to appeal the sanction.
- Racenet.com.au
