A leading Queensland harness racing driver has been charged with fixing a race in 2016 after a lengthy investigation by the Queensland Racing Crime Squad.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will be alleged Mathew Neilson, 35, affected the outcome of a harness race at Redcliffe on December 9, 2016.
Mr Neilson received a warning after his horse, Swimriderun, raced roughly following an affected start, a stewards report showed.
The Mount Cotton man is also a harness trainer and his license has been suspended following the charge.
"The commission has taken this action because it has a duty to ensure the integrity of the racing industry," Queensland Racing Integrity Commission commissioner Ross Barnett said.
The accused has been charged with one count of match-fixing and released on bail to appear in the Cleveland Magistrates Court on December 12.
He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and is the third industry participant to be charged with match-fixing since the offence was added to Queensland's criminal code in 2014.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission said in a statement the 35-year-old driver had been a prominent participant in harness racing and finished in the top three in last year's Queensland Drivers Premierships.
The latest arrest comes after another prominent driver, Barton Cockburn, was warned off all race tracks for life following his conviction in the Brisbane Magistrates Court last month after being charged with three counts of match-fixing.
