Reference: 25/03/2004
Court: Jockey Club Disciplinary Panel
Judge: Andrew Merriam (Chairman)
Date of judgment: 25 Mar 2004
Summary: Sports Law- Tribunal- Breach of the Orders and Rules of Racing - Rule 247 - Owner laying own horse to lose - Disqualification.
Appearances:
Instructing Solicitors: Charles Russell
Facts
Miles Rodgers was at the material time the director of Platinum Racing Ltd, the owner of 16 race horses. He was charged with laying his own horses to lose in races on two separate occasions on the internet betting exchange, Betfair.com.
Issue
Did Miles Rodgers, in his capacity as a Director of Platinum Racing Club Ltd, the owner of UHOOMAGOO and MILLION PERCENT, commit a breach of Rule 247 (iii) – by laying to lose the horses UHOOMAGOO and MILLION PERCENT which ran in the Marske Handicap at Redcar on 28th October 2003 and the Bet Direct No Q Handicap at Wolverhampton on 14th November 2003 respectively.
Held
The Panel found Mr Rodgers to be in breach of Rule 247 (iii) in that as an owner he either had laid UHOOMAGOO and MILLION PERCENT to lose their respective races or had instructed others to do so on his behalf. It declared Mr Rodgers should be made a Disqualified Person from 2nd April 2004 until 1st April 2006.
Comment
This was the first enquiry held into the breach of the new Rule 247, introduced after concerns by the public and the Jockey Club into the potential for owners, trainers and jockeys of exploiting inside knowledge about horses in order to profit from bets placed by them on internet betting exchanges.