ABC wins defamation case over racehorse cruelty Save Share Racing NSW boss Peter Vâlandys has failed in an attempt to sue the ABC and journalist Caro Meldrum-Hanna for defamation over his portrayal in a 7.30 segment which revealed cruelty against former racehorses. Federal Court judge Michael Wigney said he was not convinced the ABC program conveyed any of the imputations Mr Vâlandys alleged and dismissed the application, ordering the Racing NSW chief executive to pay the ABC and Ms Meldrum-Hannaâs costs. Racing NSW boss Peter Vâlandys has failed in his action against the ABC. Tim Bauer âIn summary, a central element in each of the imputations as pleaded was that the report conveyed to the ordinary reasonable viewer, in one way or another, that Mr Vâlandys knew that thoroughbred horses were being slaughtered in abattoirs and knackeries and that his denials that that was occurring were untrue and dishonest. I was not persuaded that the report conveyed any such thing,â Justice Wigney wrote in the summary of his judgment.