Tullio Vows To Fight ‘Shock' Exclusion Order

THE long running feud between Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) and Vince Tullio has taken a stunning turn with Victoria Police declaring its intentions to issue an Exclusion Order on the one-time participant on Friday. 

Tullio, who is awaiting a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing next month in a first step towards having his registration reinstated, is permitted to attend race meetings but as a member of the public.

Currently not under suspension or disqualification, Tullio has harboured hopes of returning to the racing fold, applying for re-registration with GRV but without success. 

Tullio's wife Amanda races a number of greyhounds, including group 1 winning stars Transponder and Explicit.

READ: Ugly Supreme Court Stoush Averted

Back in October 2021, Tullio was handed a two-year disqualification by GRV Stewards for conduct which in their opinion was "considered negligent, dishonest, corrupt, fraudulent or improper".

Following the decision, Tullio vowed to fight the charge, taking the matter all the way to the Supreme Court, where just a week before proceedings were to begin, GRV elected to set aside the decision and absorb a portion of the costly exercise.

Friday's bombshell move to propose an Exclusion Order is the latest sequence in the long running saga.

Under the order, Tullio will be prohibited from "entering or remaining on all Victorian racecourses" in order to "protect the integrity of the racing industry".

In response, Tullio has vowed to fight until the bitter end.

"On Friday, out of the blue, I have three detectives on my doorstep handing me this letter," Tullio said.

"In the racing industry we have participants that have rightly returned after doing their time that have had the most severe of penalties handed down.

"So it makes you wonder how my application has been declined considering I have not been charged or convicted. 

"I can't help but feel the only reason behind this is the fact that I challenged GRV in the Supreme Court and won out. I'm not going to stand for this kind of treatment.

"I've shown before I am prepared to fight the whole way and this won't be any different. 

"I have engaged my barrister Lynton Hogan and top silk Paul Holdenson to do whatever is necessary. We will follow the process through VCAT and then the Supreme Court and if need be the High Court.

"I will once again stand up for all participants and show that everyone has equal rights in this industry."

Remarkably, included in the reasons for Tullio's Exclusion Order was an article published in this publication following Transponder's Adelaide Cup heroics in October 2023.

Trained by champion mentor Jason Thompson, Transponder, owned by Amanda Tullio, won the Group 1 showpiece where Vince was quoted in the article post race discussing the victory and the dog's preparation.  

That led to an inquiry by Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) Stewards into the matter which ultimately found no wrongdoing.

Yet, despite GRSA's position, Friday's Victoria Police notice found Tullio in breach of Greyhounds Australasia Rule 156(c) which states;

"Being a person who is not registered with a controlling body or an approved registered controlling body as an owner or trainer, acts or holds themselves out as the owner or trainer of a greyhound entitled or intended to compete in an event."

Other reasons for the proposed action include Tullio's levels of wagering turnover back in 2018, alleged historical involvement in arranging to send Australian greyhounds to China, and the finding of guilt without conviction to an indictable offence in October 2022.