The Star: March 23, 2023

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday March 23 2023 The Star
NEWS 7
Latest addition to hall of shame
• By Ric Stevens
ANOTHER harness racing
figure has been banned from
the sport, the latest in series of
high-profile embarrassments for
the code.
Disgraced reinsman Matt Anderson
was barred for more than
five years for his part in “tubing”
a horse and injecting it with
vodka on New Zealand Cup Day
at Addington in November.
At the time of his offending,
Anderson was already under
an industry ban after receiving
criminal convictions in 2020
for assaulting and choking a
woman.
In a strongly worded decision
last week, the Racing Integrity
Board said Anderson was “presently
not fit to be involved in the
harness racing industry”.
On the morning
of Cup Day on
November 8, investigators
staked
out the Fernside
stables of trainer
Philip Burrows.
Philip
Burrows
They covertly
filmed Burrows
injecting a
substance into
the trotter Rakero Rebel while
Anderson held its head.
Anderson, 30, then applied a
“twitch” device to restrain the
horse while Burrows inserted a
DISGRACED: Matt Anderson, photographed after leaving
a court hearing in 2018, has been barred for five years for
his part in injecting and ‘tubing’ a horse on Cup Day at
Addington last year.
PHOTO: NZME
gastric tube into its nostril and
oesophagus.
Burrows later admitted that
the substance he injected was
vodka, and that he administered
a combination of bicarbonate of
soda, brown sugar, Epsom salts
and water through the tube.
Burrows has been disqualified
from racing for 10 years for his
actions.
The ban follows other high
profile disqualifications
in Canterbury.
Last year
promising trainer
Mitchell Kerr was
banned for life by
racing authorities,
and sentenced
Mitchell to seven months
Kerr home detention
by the courts for
selling a non-existent horse and
defrauding horse
owners.
In 2020, trainer/
driver Nigel
McGrath was
ousted for eight
years for cheating.
The Racing
Integrity Board
charged Anderson,
along with Burrows,
Nigel
McGrath
with administering a prohibited
substance by hypodermic syringe
and administering to Rakero
Rebel a substance via a nasogastric
tube on race day, which is against
harness racing rules.
He was also charged with
assisting Burrows in race-day
preparation of Rakero Rebel and
another horse, Millwood
Indie, in contravention of his
ban by Harness Racing New
Zealand.
Anderson initially lied to
investigators when confronted
at another property about his
actions that morning.
When he was told he had
been filmed, he said he wanted
legal advice before answering
any questions, but later pleaded
guilty to all charges.
The Racing Integrity Board,
chaired by former High Court
Justice Warwick Gendall, a
King’s Counsel, called Anderson’s
actions “deliberate and
dishonest”.
“It is aggravated by Mr Anderson’s
defiance of the direction
that he not be involved in the
preparation of horses to race –
that is, he should not have been
anywhere near the tie-ups stable
that morning,” the decision said.
It said the film showed “surreptitious
and furtive behaviour”
which illustrated that Anderson
knew precisely he was offending
in a serious way.
His defiance of his previous
warning was “arrogant” and
showed total disregard for the
standards of the profession.
“Mr Anderson did not cooperate,
as did Mr Burrows. He
first lied to the investigator,” the
decision said.
“When advised that a film
existed he took refuge, as he had
before, in silence. It was only
after it was clear that any defence
would have been futile that he
had no option but to admit the
charges.”
The board banned Anderson
from involvement in harness
racing for five years and three
months.
Tackling the
cost of living
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has made it clear that our focus needs
to be on the things that affect all New Zealanders – and my new
role as a Minister ties in closely with cost of living issues that affect
Christchurch residents.
The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has the job of making sure that
the key parts of the economy are working properly. This includes looking hard at
supermarkets, banks, and insurers to make sure they are doing the right thing.
Ultimately it is about making sure that ordinary folk get a fair deal when they fill up
the trolley, or the tank, or get a mortgage.
Right now, supermarkets are a major focus. We know that groceries are too
expensive. Some of that is because there are only two supermarket chains in
New Zealand. Creating an environment where there can be new, innovative and
disruptive new players isn’t easy – but the Government is getting on with it.
Last week we announced more support for the 1.4 million Kiwis getting
Superannuation and Veterans’ pensions, Student Allowance, Student Loan or a
main benefit to help with the cost of living. A couple on national superannuation will
be better off by more than $100 a fortnight. Working families will see a bump
in their Working for Families payments, and more people will be eligible for Childcare
Assistance. Every little bit counts when making ends meet and we can’t leave those
on the lowest incomes behind. It’s more evidence of the Government’s focus on
helping Kiwis with the things that matter most right now.
I’ve got several speaking engagements booked across Christchurch this year with
organisations like Rotary and U3A. If you would like me to be a guest speaker and
talk about my work as MP for Christchurch Central, get in touch.
Duncan Webb
MP for Christchurch Central
366 5519 | chchcentral@parliament.govt.nz
Authorised by Duncan Webb MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Woolston Brass presents
ANZAC Variety Concert
WOOLSTON BRASS in association with JOHN RHIND FUNERAL DIRECTORS presents
Tuesday 25 April, 2pm Christchurch Town Hall
Woolston Brass
Music Director Tyme Marsters
with guest artists
The New Zealand Army Band
The Starlets
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info@woolstonbrass.org