Racing Association Investigating Defamatory Pamphlet

July 16 - The South African Racing Association is disturbed by the distribution of a slanderous pamphlet that refers to one of its directors, Peter Naidoo.

According to the Association, anonymous individuals decided to go on a smear campaign against Naidoo by distributing pamphlets of him at last month's July Handicap horseracing event.

The pamphlet, which naturally had no contact address, depicted Naidoo in a number of celebratory poses with horses and then issued a warning about him, including that he does not pay his racing accounts. Peter Naidoo is a national marketing manager and racehorse owner.

The pamphlet was found at several locations across the country, including on car windows at the Sibaya Casino in Durban during the annual yearling sales which took place a couple of days before the July Handicap, as well as in the men's toilets at the Greyville racecourse.

The South African Racing Association, on its part, said that it was investigating this matter very thoroughly and that it was giving Peter Naidoo all the support he needed right now.

"It sounds like hate mail," said the chairman of the South African Racing Association, Larry Wainstein, "and it's very disturbing that people would go to these lengths, instead of sorting this thing out."

Wainstein encouraged those who distributed the pamphlets to "be bold" and reveal themselves instead of hiding behind their anonymity.

Wainstein praised Peter Naidoo and the work that he was doing as a director of the South African Racing Association, and pointed out the many transformations that had come about in the industry since his appointment.

"It's something he enjoys and is very passionate about. Until the facts are established, we reserve the right to do what we have to do," he said.

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