Regulators are confident EPO "is not being abused in New Zealand horse racing despite three men being found guilty of charges relating to the prohibited blood doping substance." Ashburton trainer Len Faber, Dunedin Owner Calvin Fisher and retired Invercargill trotting trainer Donny McRae "are awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of an act detrimental to the interests of racing" (STUFF, 7/21). ... When the second half of the South Korean professional baseball season starts on Tuesday, "the league will have a new twist to its review system." Ahead of last Friday's All-Star Game at the Korea Baseball Organization, the nine managers agreed to adopt a "four-man review" system that will precede expanded video replay starting in the season's second half (YONHAP, 7/21). ... Australian Football League side Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said that the match review panel should "deliver verdicts on contentious incidents in Friday night matches before the full round is completed, and hold tribunal hearings as early as Sunday night." Clarkson's "distaste at public comments surrounding Hawthorn defender Brian Lake's recent choke on North Melbourne's Drew Petrie, including initially by himself and some of his players," has also persuaded him that the AFL should "gag participant players and officials from commenting on incidents before they are heard by the tribunal" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/21). ... AFL side Sydney has threatened to "radically scale down its investment in developing the game in NSW should the AFL revise the bidding system" in a move which could "force the club to pay a higher price for prize recruits." AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon will make a call on possible new bidding rules "by the end of this month in a move which looks certain to infuriate both Sydney clubs along with Gold Coast and Brisbane" (SMH, 7/21).
