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Queensland stewards are investigating bar altercation involving harness racing participants at Albion Park.
Championship-winning harness trainer Jason Grimson will be interviewed by stewards as part of a wide-ranging investigation into a wild bar brawl at Brisbane’s Albion Park on Saturday night.
The brawl started in The Creek bar after Grimson was allegedly baited by several men after his horse Swayzee beat local idol Leap Of Fame in the Blacks A Fake championship which is the major race of the harness racing winter carnival.
The jewel night of Queensland harness racing’s crown was soured soon after by a brawl which is the talk of the industry.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission revealed it was “investigating an altercation involving racing participants that allegedly took place at Albion Park on Saturday evening’’ but gave no further detail.
Track manager Tony Turpin, father of former Brisbane Broncos rugby league hooker Jake, was privately praised by officials for trying to break up the melee which left him with a cut jaw.
“It (the brawl) lasted about two minutes and we ended up sending one group out one door and another group out a separate one,’’ Turpin said.
“I stepped in because you think of what that night means to the club, but it proved to me I’m not 24-years-old any more.’’
It is understood stewards have been given closed circuit television footage of the incident and plan to interview at least six people present on the night.
It is believed the taunts at Grimson stemmed from the improvement of Swayzee, which has won six races from as many starts under his guidance after being unplaced at its previous eight starts in Queensland.
One observer said Grimson copped taunts from several different men and shrugged off the first few before the situation escalated.
Sydney-based Grimson, 30, has an exceptional record for a young trainer with his 304 wins including eight Group 1s.
His career strike rate is a win every four starts and he won back to back Inter Dominions with tried pacers I Cast No Shadow and Boncel Benjamin.
Originally Posted by Messenger
