Page 2 - Robert Cram News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

TRACK RATING CALL – MAKE IT SIMPLE April 21, 2021 5:58 pm By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor Key figures have urged for a scrapping of our embattled track racing system, days after a Australian Trainers Association chief executive Andrew Nicholl and Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe believe a return to four track ratings – fast, good, slow and heavy – would rein in continual grumblings. Racing Victoria chief steward Robert Cram said he also would prefer the four-rating model to the system implemented nation-wide a decade ago, with tracks rated 1-10, from a fast 1 and a heavy 10. ...

RSN927 THREE RIDERS SUSPENDED OVER DRUG USE April 5, 2021 7:59 am By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor Two track jockeys and a well-known Western Districts jockey were handed suspensions by Racing Victoria stewards on the weekend as the fallout from a random drug blitz continues. Track riders Nicole McKechnie and Selim Aqbal were suspended for six weeks and four months respectively after pleading guilty to drug offences at an inquiry concluded at the Warracknabeal races on Saturday. Samuel Payne was suspended for six months after pleading guilty to the same charge, The penalties followed a ran...

RSN927 SIX BALLARAT RIDERS FAIL DOPE TEST  April 1, 2021 10:28 am By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor Six track riders, including two well-known jockeys, have been Ballarat today as six of Ballarat’s 40 track riders were stood down. Racing Victoria chief steward Robert Cram said he was “disappointed” with the stunning number of track staff who had returned irregularities to illegal drugs after random testing of 60 riders. A leading Ballarat trainer said the positive tests revealed “a really bad culture” of drugs in Ballarat, that had spread to the local racing industry. “It’s a re...

RSN927 ARCADIA QUEEN, SHOUT THE BAR UNDER ALL STAR INJURY CLOUDS  March 11, 2021 3:01 pm By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor  Inspections conducted by Racing Victoria vets tomorrow morning could have a dramatic bearing on the All-Star Mile, with favourite Racing Victoria chief steward Robert Cram this afternoon said the slight lameness to Arcadia Queen was unlikely to lead to her scratching but he said concerns were slightly more serious regarding Shout The Bar, a $19 chance in the $5 million race. Fifty Stars ($23) and So Si Bon ($51) are first in line if one or either of the mares is scr...

Hindsight is everything along the fine line of whether a jockey is charged for a bad ride. Racing Victoria stewards have charged three jockeys — Noel Callow, Zac Spain and Mitch Aitken — in recent weeks with failing to take all legal measures to get the best possible result for their mounts. Callow was charged in November while Spain and Aitken were charged earlier this month. In all three cases, stewards took weeks to decide whether the three rides in question merited charges. Racing Victoria chief steward Robert Cram says the stewards need the time to look at all angles of a race.