A horse racing trainer in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, has been disqualified after verbally abusing a racing steward during an inspection. Garry Lunn, known for training numerous winners, including over 100 at the Dubbo racecourse, faced disciplinary action following a confrontation with steward Xavier Dalton.
The incident occurred when officials from RacingNSW visited Lunn’s yard for a stable audit and discovered discrepancies in the stable return records. During a subsequent inspection by Dalton, Lunn became hostile, hurling insults and expletives at the steward, questioning his competence and using derogatory language.
Despite Dalton’s attempts to conduct the inspection, Lunn’s aggressive behavior persisted. He followed Dalton outside, continued the verbal attack, and even confronted him while he was in his car. Consequently, Lunn was charged with obstructing Dalton from performing his duties and engaging in improper conduct towards a steward.
Although Lunn denied the charges, he was found guilty and received a three-month disqualification for the first offense and a nine-month disqualification for the second offense. The disqualification period is set to run concurrently from November 14, 2025, to August 14, 2026.