Prominent trainer Robert Smerdon has been given a life ban by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board.
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Smerdon, 63, who is from one of Ballarat’s most famous thoroughbred horse racing families, was on Thursday one of three former Aquanita Racing employees banned for life after having been found guilty of race-day doping-related offences over an eight-year time span.
Smerdon’s former employees Greg and Denise Nelligan were also disqualified for life.
Disqualified individuals are unable to go onto a racetrack, attend a race meeting, TAB, horse sales, racing agistment farms and stud farms, or socialise with racing people or live with a licensed person.
In all eight past Aquanita employees were disqualified.
Trainer Stuart Webb was banned for four years, trainer Tony Vasil for three years, trainer Trent Pennuto for two years, trainer Liam Birchley for one year and Ballarat float driver Danny Garland for one year.
None of the eight were at the Melbourne County Court on Thursday for sentencing by RAD board chairman Judge John Bowman,
Birchley's legal counsel has informed Racing Victoria he will be appealing the guilty verdict.
Judge Bowman, in handing down guilty verdicts on Tuesday, said the eight guilty former members of Aquanita had knowingly conspired to cheat.
Robert Smerdon is a great nephew of legendary Ballarat trainer Arthur Smerdon.
His father Bob was also a trainer.
Smerdon grew up in Ballarat and turned to training after a successful career as a jockey in which he rode 65 winners on the flat and 13 over the jumps before weight caught up with him.
Bob Smerdon spent time as a stable foreman for Arthur Smerdon, who Robert was also first apprenticed to.
Robert Smerdon spent his early years in the 1980s as a trainer in Ballarat, retaining it as his main base through the 1990s before joining the Flemington-based Aquanita Racing.
Aquanita later relocated to Caulfield and while Smerdon had the bulk of his team based there, he retained his Ballarat stables with up to 30 horses at any time.
He trained almost 1900 winners, including 11 group 1 features.
Let’s Get Physical provided him with his first group 1 success in the 1985 Blue Diamond Stakes.
Smerdon also produced two Ballarat Cup winners – McGuane in 1996 and Grand Dreamer last year.
He was also well known for his deeds with jumpers, with a highlight being a win with Zabenz in the United States in 2002.
Al Dorama provided him with his last win at Flemington on January 13 before announcing at the end of March he was walking away from racing.
