Latest News

Racing NSW Stewards today conducted a hearing to determine charges issued against registered owner Mr John Sekulovski.  Stewards issued the relevant charges to Mr Sekulovski on the 18 July 2024.

Background
The charges subject of the hearing originated following an investigation as detailed below.

In early July 2024, Racing NSW Investigators commenced an investigation in respect of allegations concerning Mr Sekulovski’s conduct towards industry participants while at Rosehill Racecourse on the 26 June 2024.

Racing NSW Investigators conducted interviews with witnesses, obtained text message records, and collected closed circuit television footage (CCTV) regarding the conduct alleged.

On 18 July 2024, as a result of the investigation, Stewards issued five (5) charges against Mr Sekulovksi as detailed below.

Charges issued against Mr John Sekulovksi

Charge 1: AR228(b)

The details of the charge being that, on the 29 June while at Rosehill Racecourse following Race 10, he engaged in improper conduct by directing aggressive and improper language towards other industry participants.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Charge 2: AR228(b)

The details of the charge being that, on the 29 June while at Rosehill Racecourse following Race 10, he engaged in improper conduct by directing aggressive and improper language towards other industry participants.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Charge 3: AR228(b)

The details of the charge being that, on the 29 June while at Rosehill Racecourse, he engaged in improper conduct by sending text messages to another industry participant, the contents of which was improper language.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Charge 4: AR228(b)

The details of the charge being that, on the 29 June while at Rosehill Racecourse in the ‘Post-Race Connections’ bar, he engaged in improper conduct by directing aggressive and improper language towards other industry participants.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Charge 5: AR228(b)

The details of the charge being that, on the 29 June while at Rosehill Racecourse near the exit of the public grandstand, he engaged in improper conduct by directing aggressive and improper language towards other industry participants.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Penalty

The following penalty considerations were taken into account:

- Guilty plea was entered at the earliest opportunity,
- Contrition shown by Mr Sekulovski and his willingness to accept responsibility for his conduct,
- Objective seriousness of the conduct,
- Mr Sekulovskis’s personal and professional circumstances,
- Principle of specific and general deterrence and what message is sent to the industry in respect to such conduct,
- Purpose of issuing penalties as a protective measure for the image, interests and welfare of the thoroughbred racing industry.

Charge 1: AR228(b) – 2 months disqualification
Charge 2: AR228(b) – 2 months disqualification (to be served wholly concurrent with charge 1)
Charge 3: AR228(b) - 1 month disqualification
Charge 4: AR228(b) – 2 months disqualification
Charge 5 AR228(b) – 2 months disqualification (to be served wholly concurrent with charge 4)

Having regard to the principles of totality and proportionality, in addition to the orders in respect of concurrency for charges 1 and 2, and charges 5 and 6 as set out above, the Stewards have ruled that the total base period of disqualification would be 5 months.

Additionally, allowing for the discount on pleas and mitigating factors, Stewards determined the total period of disqualification to be 2 months.

Under the powers afforded by AR283(7), Stewards ordered the commencement of the penalty be deferred for a period of 7 days.

M W Cleaver
(Racing NSW Operations Manager – Integrity)