BABY BOOM BACK ON TRACK

By Graham Potter | Thursday, July 1, 2010

The bar on the racing career of Baby Boom has been lifted by Racing Queensland Limited (RQL) with immediate effect.

The bar was imposed as a result of concerns regarding the ownership of the horse but, after due investigation, stewards are now satisfied that the current registration reflects the bona fida owner of the horse.

The press release from RQL announcing the lifting of the ban however does conclude with the statement that, 'a stewards enquiry is expected to be conducted shortly into the circumstances surrounding the previous registered ownership of the horse', so a controversial period of time surrounding the Redoutes Choice mare is not yet at an end.

Baby Boom came to prominence for all of the wrong reasons when she finished fourth in a first-up run at the Sunshine Coast on January 3.

Stewards opened an investigation into the running and handling of Baby Boom. The focus of attention was on the betting activities of three Betfair account holders who allegedly had connections to both John Nikolic, who was the trainer of Baby Boom at the time, and jockey John Keating, the rider of Baby Boom. Both account holders reportedly earned a substantial profit when Baby Boom, a $1.30 favourite for the race, was defeated.

While the enquiry failed to reach a concrete conclusion after intensive inquiries, the fallout from the episode was quite substantial.

John Nikolic decided not to continue with his training career and he handed in his license. The three punters involved, professional punter Neville Clements, Alessandro Alaimo and Kevin McFarland, after failing to cooperate with the investigation, were warned off all racecourses in Queensland.

John Keating survived the fall-out with stewards deciding there was not enough evidence to proceed with a case against the rider. Keating had cooperated with stewards.

Baby Boom did back up at Ipswich a week after her Sunshine Coast effort (still for Nikolic). She finished unplaced and then was spelled while the investigation ran its course.

On May 27 Baby Boom returned to action at the Gold Coast. The mare had a new trainer and new ownership. The only common denominator with the past was jockey John Keating who kept the ride and this time the result looked to prove more satisfying when Baby Boom romped home unchallenged to win by a decisive five length margin.

But another hiccup in the Baby Boom saga was soon underway. Not only was there an investigation into the registered ownership of the horse, but Baby Boom was officially barred from racing until an outcome in that investigation had been realised.

That has now been concluded. Baby Boom has been reinstated ... but a further inquiry into the previous registered ownership is pending.