Banned trainer Peter Anderson cleared to race horses at Gloucester Park despite 12-month assault sanction

Trotting trainer Peter Anderson has been cleared to race horses at Gloucester Park tomorrow night despite a 12-month ban for assaulting leading reinswoman Deni Roberts. Anderson is allowed back at tracks under officials orders not to contact Gloucester Park ambassador Roberts and he must stay at least 50m away from her at race meetings. The trainer’s five runners tomorrow night include fancies in $80.000 feature events. Roberts has four drives on Friday night. Stewards opposed Anderson’s application to the WA Racing Penalties Appeal Tribunal for a stay of proceedings on last week’s world-wide ban from racetracks. But tribunal chair Karen Farley granted a stay of proceedings and ruled Anderson could resume training. She said he could have starters pending the outcome of his appeal against the disqualification. Farley said she took the welfare of Anderson’s horses into account. “He must lodge his grounds of appeal by this Friday afternoon,” Farley said. “He must not contact Ms Roberts directly or indirectly until the outcome of the appeal, and he must remain at least 50m away from her at race meetings. “The matter is expected to be listed for hearing in the weeks commencing June 29 and July 6.” Last week stewards hit Anderson with a one-year disqualification for having forcibly placed a hand on Roberts’ chest and shoved her away at his Byford stable last February 11. He was also fined $500 for misconduct towards Roberts, who was employed by Anderson, on February 11 at Byford trackwork. Stewards alleged Anderson deliberately drove Star Of The Class wide on the track, crashing into Roberts’ sulky while she was driving She Said Diamonds. Roberts escaped physical injury, but was too distressed to compete at a race meeting that night and forfeited four drives, including a winner. The reinswoman is an ambassador at Gloucester Park for Teal, which raised breast cancer research funds. Racing and Wagering donated to Teal for each of Roberts’ winners over several weeks earlier this year. Anderson has booked reinsmen Chris Lewis, Gary Hall Jr, Aldo Cortopassi, Shannon Suvaljko and Kyle Harper to drive his runners on tomorrow night. The trainer will start Star Fromthepalace in the $80,000 3YO Fillies Westbred Classic and Bettor Look in the $80,000 3YO Colts and Geldings Westbred Classic. He has Star Of The Bay, Follow My Stride and Shes A Bright Star in the $20,000 2YO Fillies Westbred Pace. Roberts will drive Yellowroseoftexas in the two-year-old fillies’ event.