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SLG · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject: Race fixing at Scots courses

Three Scottish courses caught up in alleged race-fixing investigations
JIM KEAN

A MAJOR investigation into alleged race-fixing includes charges related to a number of horseraces held at Scotland's three flat tracks - Ayr, Musselburgh and Hamilton - it was announced yesterday.

Jockeys Robert Winston, Fran Ferris, Robbie Fitzpatrick and Luke Fletcher face allegations by racing's regulators that they "passed on information for reward and or aided and abetted the commission of a corrupt practice".

Following the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) security department investigation, the riders, former licensed bookmaker Ian Nicholl and four other unlicensed individuals have been informed of the various charges in relation to 37 races that took place between June 2003 and February 2004.

Of that number, seven were run in Scotland: two at Musselburgh, two at Hamilton, and three at Ayr.

Only one of the seven, however, involved a Scottish-trained horse, Linda Perratt's Friar Tuck.

However, the performance of Sarraff from Ian Semple's Carluke yard in a Redcar race has also been put under the microscope as has the unplaced run of Renfrewshire handler Jim Goldie's Lucayan Dancer in an event at Doncaster.

Jonathan Garratt, the commercial manager of Scottish Racing, the umbrella organisation that represents all five Scottish tracks, moved quickly to quash fears that the announcement could result in a drop in the amount of money staked on horseracing.

"The integrity of the sport is the responsibility of the HRA and as such, the courses don't really have a huge role to play in the process," he said.

"On a race day, the officials at the course itself don't have a remit to look at integrity issues. That is the function of the stewards, clerk of the scales etc and if anything untoward came to light, they would then report to the HRA.

"Like Britain's other 54 courses, those in Scotland pay an integrity fee that covers items like starting stalls and the photo-finish, but most importantly in this instance, camera patrols, so every race is filmed from almost every conceivable angle," he continued.

"We all pay exactly the same amount for these facilities and they are the same the length and breadth of Britain so there is absolutely no reason why any particular race should have more chance of being fixed just because it's run in Scotland.

"It is very clearly in all of our interests to ensure that racing is as straight as is humanly possible and obviously, if any of the courses involved were approached by the HRA, they would co-operate fully in any investigation.

"Unless, though, it was to clarify a specific point, like establishing where the stalls were positioned for a certain race, I would very much doubt that any of the tracks, not just the Scottish ones, will actually face such an approach."

The four riders involved all have to face charges of passing on information for reward, aiding the commission of a corrupt practice, and misleading Jockey Club officials during the long-running inquiry.

It is claimed Nicholl, and the four other unlicensed people named, used the information provided by the jockeys to make a combined profit of almost £48,000 by laying the 37 horses at the centre of the probe on Betfair, the country's biggest betting exchange.

That profit, however, would have been even greater had all the horses the quintet are charged with betting to lose actually lost.

But they did not. The victory of the Winston-ridden Madiba at Southwell in January 2004 is said to have cost one of the quintet over £35,000, another £25,000 having also been allegedly lost when Risk Fee, partnered by Fletcher, scored at Wolverhampton six months earlier.

John Blake, the chief executive of the Jockeys' Association of Great Britain, said all four of the riders were determined to clear their names.

"The jockeys involved have been co-operating with this, some of them for over two years now," he said. "This inquiry affords them the opportunity to have their cases heard. Clearly these are very serious charges which they are able to have a full opportunity to address the panel on.

"We are concerned for the profession and the image of the sport as a whole. Nobody feels that more sharply than the Jockeys' Association."

A hearing is scheduled at HRA headquarters in London for 27 September.

It is believed the investigation is not related to the police inquiry, which has seen charges brought against 11 people, including former champion Kieren Fallon.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1188192006

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3776

Happens right through the industry, all over the world I'm afraid.

It's something I can't see changing either. Whereas it's supporters and viewers which drive football (that's where the money is), horse racing is by nature driven by gambling and is secondly a spectator sport. Until there comes a time when the general population enjoy watching horse racing more than gambling on it - then race fixing will be prevalent.
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