Darwin Trainer Facing Race Fixing Charge

Thursday, 26 March 2009 00:00

Darwin trainer Rui Severino will deny a race fixing charge laid by Thoroughbred Racing NT stewards at a hearing on Monday night.

Severino faces two charges - the most serious of offering payment for a rival jockey to lose on a mount.

It is alleged that Severino offered Damion McIntosh money to not win aboard the Shane Clarke trained Rishikesh.

McIntosh is believed to have turned down the payment and duly won the race at Fannie Bay on January 9.

The Virtual FormGuide understands the figure alleged to have been offered was around $300.

Severino trained the former Guy Walter galloper for a short period and raced him once - when eighth of ten at Darwin in July, 2007.

Ever since that race, Rishikesh's first in the Territory, the gelding has been trained by Shane Clarke - the man best known for training Group One winner Undue.

"I intend to plead not guilty to the charged and will defend myself vigorously against the allegations," he told the Northern Territory News.

"There are the first charges ever to be laid against me under the Australian Rules of Racing since I started training at Fannie Bay in December 2002."

"But I don't think it is appropriate for me to make any further comment as I don't want to prejudice the inquiry," he added.

NT's chairman of stewards Lindsay Lane told the Northern Territory News the hearing is perhaps the most serious levelled in the state.

"In my time in the Territory we have never had a case with such significance before the stewards," he noted.

"We were confident enough to charge Rui with the evidence we have gathered and he has the opportunity to answer those charges next Monday night."