Four jockeys, 2 owners and 5 other individuals have been banned from racing after an 11 day enquiry before the Disciplinary Panel of the British Horseracing Authority.
An investigation by the BHA into suspicious betting patterns around 10 races in 2009 led to charges against 13 individuals. Each was accused of involvement in a conspiracy to use inside information to bet that particular horses would not win or be placed in those races. Five jockeys were accused of deliberately failing to ensure their horse would not win or be placed (also known as ‘stopping’), as part of the conspiracy.
At the hearing before the BHA Panel, which ended in early November, 7 of the defendants were represented by four QCs, one other barrister and a solicitor-advocate. 5RB’s Mark Warby QC represented the BHA, leading Louis Weston. The Panel delivered its decision on 14 December, and announced its decisions on penalty on 14 and 21 December.
Two jockeys, Paul Doe and Greg Fairley, were found guilty of ‘stopping’ and participation in the conspiracy. They were disqualified for 12 years. ‘Stopping’ charges against jockeys Kirsty Milzcarek and Jimmy Quinn were dismissed, but they were both found to have been part of a conspiracy. Milczarek was disqualified for 2 years and Quinn for 6 months. A fifth jockey, Paul Fitzsimons, was cleared of all charges, as was another individual, Darren May.
Two owners – Maurice ‘Fred’ Sines and James Crickmore – were found to have been at the centre of the conspiracy. Each was disqualified for 14 years. Another 5 individuals not licensed by the BHA were found to have participated in the conspiracy by helping place the bets against the horses in question, and the Panel ordered them to be excluded from racing with minimum periods of exclusion of between 3 and 7 years.