AN IDIOTIC plot to make a few hundred bucks in a race fixing scam has left a successful father and son harness race training team in ruin.

Mildura identities Shayne and Greg Cramp today pleaded guilty to one charge each of conduct that corrupted a betting outcome.

The Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard Shayne Cramp, 31, and his father Greg, 58, were among Australian harness racing’s top three training families when the pair were caught fixing a race.

While detectives only proceeded with a charge over one fixed race, the court heard Shayne was caught on phone taps organising another successful fix.

Both faced 10 years in jail, but were instead convicted and sentenced to community corrections orders.

Shayne must perform 300 hours of community work for his disgraceful actions while Greg must carry out 200.

The court heard Shayne was a successful trainer in the area at the time of his offending last year, winning the Victorian trainer’s championship in 2013/14.

But the cocky trainer/driver flushed his career down the toilet on a ludicrous race fixing scheme which saw him collect less on takings in one race than he would have collected by winning it.

In that October 29, 2014 race, which was taken into account on sentencing by Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge, despite the charge being formally withdrawn, the court heard Shayne collected $750 in winnings.

His barrister Trevor Wraight, QC, said had either of his two horses in the race won, he would have collected a half share in the $2000 prize money.

Instead, he organised the Vincent Vallelonga-trained horse Fergus Maccool – paying $8.50 – to take the lead over his horse In Transit – the $1.50 favourite – which came fifth.

Police also alleged Shayne and his father organised a fix on a Mildura harness race on November 12 last year, with Shayne collecting an $820 trifecta through an associate who had the cash transferred to his wife.

Both Shayne and his father drove the offending horses in the suspicious race, which caught the eye of Harness Racing Victoria stewards.

Greg was later suspended for four weeks for allowing his son to pass him on the home straight.

Detectives working on an operation code named “Lumberjacks” later caught Greg laughing about the suspension.

“Oh I was happy to get four weeks,’’ police heard him say. “Hey how good is it when you back the winner and you run second on your own horse.’’

The shameless cheat, who boasted he was “cashed up’’ after the race, was unrepentant about his obvious cheating.

“Oh f—king Shayne was going ‘don’t make it look too (obvious) … I said ‘I don’t give a f—k’.’’

Police did not allege Greg placed any actual bets on the race.

In pleading for leniency, Mr Wraight said his clients faced disqualification from the industry by anywhere up to 10 years.

“That will be the nail in the coffin,’’ he said of their predicament.

Mr Wraight said both men were extremely ashamed and embarrassed for their actions and faced financial ruin.

“They really feel this when they walk through the town,’’ he said.

He told the court Shayne now worked as a forklift driver and would probably never work in the industry again.

In sentencing, Mr Lethbridge said he struggled to understand why the men took so much risk for such little return.

“Such offending has the potential to undermine the reputation of the industry, confidence of the public in the industry and the viability of an industry you two claim to love,’’ he said.

He took into account the pair’s plea of guilty, genuine remorse and absence of prior offending.