COMMENT: Organised crime fighter a must have for horse racing

"Organised criminals try to groom young sportspeople in a similar fashion to how paedophiles work when they try to groom kids.

"They (organised criminals) have the ability to get in early and play the long game by getting (sportspeople) involved in betting and drugs, once they are caught, they are hooked."

These are two of the most powerful and worrying sentences ever spoken at a racing conference.

But high-powered crime fighter Michael Phelan is no man's fool.

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Now, the Australian racing industry must seize the moment and engage with and employ the former Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief to educate young jockeys and trainers and work hand in glove with integrity officials.

Every conference has its highs and lows, but everyone sat bolt upright with eyes wide open when Phelan took the stage at last week's Asian Racing Conference in Melbourne.

Phelan has tangled with some of Australia's most devious crooks during a more than 30-year career in law enforcement, which included a five-year stint at the ACIC where one of his headline acts was a major investigation into organised crime at casinos.

Before that Phelan was a deputy commissioner for national security at the Australian Federal Police and was responsible for international operations and border security to do with people smuggling and narcotics.

The 56-year-old finished up his ACIC job in November and, as a passionate racing man, the racing industry must grab hold of him.

He speaks in a compelling but straightforward and no-nonsense way - you can just imagine a class of apprentice jockeys hanging off his every word.

Even if his words, warnings and insights made a difference to the lives and the future of a small handful, it will have been worth it to stop them potentially following a potentially perilous path.

Phelan says liaisons from organised criminals often start off gently, gently - perhaps with a bit of casual information about track conditions.

From there it can spiral into a world of drugs, dodgy money and bad influence until a young jockey could be under the thumb of the crooks and trapped in their thrall.

No doubt jockeys' associations and apprentice programs across the land already do their best with education programs about corruption, but Phelan is next level.

His expertise and insight would also be invaluable to stewards across the land.

Racing is so divided on state borders, wouldn't it be great to have someone with the background and presence and expertise of Phelan delivering the same message to racing participants everywhere?

After listening to him speak, I'm convinced Phelan is a must-have for the Australian racing industry.

Otherwise, it's $1.01 another sport will grab him.