FORMER bookmaker and now professional punter Neville Clements was yesterday warned off indefinitely at a hearing of the Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board, reports The Age.It says: Clements faces the same restrictions as a disqualified person and cannot set foot on a racecourse nor bet with bookmakers.The 59-year-old had been charged by Racing Victoria Limited stewards for failing to supply his telephone records.Stewards had asked for his phone records after a link had been establis

FORMER bookmaker and now professional punter Neville Clements was yesterday warned off indefinitely at a hearing of the Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board, reports The Age.

It says: Clements faces the same restrictions as a disqualified person and cannot set foot on a racecourse nor bet with bookmakers.

The 59-year-old had been charged by Racing Victoria Limited stewards for failing to supply his telephone records.

Stewards had asked for his phone records after a link had been established between Clements and jockey Danny Nikolic, who admitted calling the punter from Flemington on New Year's day. The link was established during an investigation into up to 10 of Nikolic's rides after betting exchange Betfair alerted stewards to unusual betting patterns on Clements' account.

Stewards are continuing their investigation into the rides.

At a hearing of the board on February 12, it was established that Clements, even though he is not a licensed person, was subject to the rules of racing and was given seven days to produce his phone records. He declined to do so.

Last week, Clements did not appear at a hearing in Brisbane into the running of Baby Boom, then trained by Nikolic's brother John, at the Sunshine Coast on January 3. He will be asked to show cause as to why he should not be warned off Queensland racetracks.

Clements, who attended yesterday's hearing, pleaded not guilty. His counsel, Tim McHenry, said there was no obvious link between the Nikolic inquiry and the request for the phone records. He also said the RAD Board did not have the power to warn his client off.

But the board, chaired by Brian Forrest, found that the direction of stewards had been lawfully made and under local rule 71, the power of the board to disqualify included the power to warn off.