Racehorse trainer denies Mokbel links
Melbourne racehorse trainer Peter Moody has denied any links with the notorious Mokbel crime family after finding himself at the centre of an underworld investigation involving one of his horses.
Police from the anti-gangland Purana Taskforce won a restraining order over a 75 per cent share of the potential star galloper Pillar Of Hercules which is trained by Moody at Caulfield.
The order granted by the Victorian Supreme Court relates to a share in the horse registered in the name of Irene Meletsis.
But police suspect the share may be owned by Horty Mokbel, 43, the older brother of convicted drug trafficker and accused murderer Tony Mokbel.
The order also means Pillar Of Hercules is banned from racing until Racing Victoria stewards and police are satisfied as to the bona fides of the horse's ownership.
The stewards interviewed Moody and are examining documents relating to the horse which was purchased as a yearling by the trainer and is 25 per cent owned by his wife Sarah.
Racing Victoria's chairman of stewards Des Gleeson says there are no concerns about Ms Moody's involvement in the ownership of the horse.
Moody said he did not know any member of the Mokbel family and had had no dealings with any known criminals.
"To the best of my knowledge, neither myself, my wife Sarah, or Moody Racing or any of my staff have at any time had any dealings with, or association with, any person known to have criminal record or criminal ties," he said in a statement.
"We cannot be held responsible for matters which in the future become known to us."
The court order granted over Pillar Of Hercules opens the way for the 75 per cent share to be confiscated as the profits of crime should it be established that Horty Mokbel is a silent partner.
A statement issued by Racing Victoria Ltd said the order was for the purpose of "satisfying any forfeiture order that may be made in relation to alleged offender Horty Mokbel".
Horty Mokbel is in prison in Victoria facing charges relating to the trafficking of $40 million worth of amphetamines.
His name also appears on a list compiled by Victoria's chief commissioner of police of crime figures who are banned from racetracks and from Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Gleeson said Moody had willingly provided documents relating to the ownership of Pillar Of Hercules and information concerning accounts issued by him to the owners.
The stewards are yet to interview Ms Meletsis or her partner, who is said to have given her the share in the horse as a gift.
Pillar Of Hercules, a winner at Caulfield last Saturday, was one of the favourites for next week's Victoria Derby, for which connections were required to pay a late entry fee of $82,500 by Friday to enable him to run.
But Gleeson said Moody had indicated he had abandoned that plan, regardless of the outcome of the ownership investigation.
While it is not a crime to register incorrect ownership details of a racehorse, it is a breach of the Rules of Racing and can result in a fine or disqualification.
Records of the livestock sales auctioneer William Inglis and Sons show that Moody Racing Pty Ltd paid $475,000 for Pillar Of Hercules at the company's 2006 Easter yearling sale.
The Mokbel family's involvement in horseracing first came to light in 1997 when Tony Mokbel led a group of high-rolling punters known as the "tracksuit gang".
He and his wife Carmel were later banned from owning racehorses.
Earlier this year, a secret Australian Crime Commission investigation of Tony Mokbel's links to racing took evidence from jockeys, trainers and bookmakers.
Australia is seeking to extradite Tony Mokbel from Greece, where he is being held following his arrest in Athens in June.
He fled Australia 14 months earlier while on trial for cocaine trafficking, a charge of which he was found guilty and, in his absence, sentenced to 12 years' jail.
He has since been accused of murdering fellow gangland figure Lewis Moran.
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