Dettori leaps to racing's defence
Star jockey Frankie Dettori leapt to the defence of British racing in the wake of a BBC Panorama expose which had claimed the sport was “institutionally corrupt”.
Dettori arrived back in Newmarket after claiming victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in time to catch most of the programme aired on Sunday night called ‘The Corruption of Racing’.
He felt the programme revealed nothing new and believes the Jockey Club - heavily criticised in the programme by former head of security Roger Buffham - were doing all they could to ensure fair play in the sport.
“I thought it was absolute rubbish. Nothing new came out. It was five years old, things that we all knew about. They have all been in the newspapers and through the courts. I don’t think we have made any progress,” he told attheraces.
“I have been all over the world and the Jockey Club in England is probably the best, most policed sport in the world.
“Wherever there is gambling and money there is always somebody trying to make a fast buck. It happens in football, in cricket, in any sport.
“All we can do is to police it the best we can. There is always going to be somebody who is going to try it on, but we can all look out for these kind of things and keep it as tight as possible.”
Former jockey Steve Smith Eccles also disputed the assertions of Buffham that “a whole generation of National Hunt jockeys had close links to organised crime”.
He said: “I think the accusation was a bit far-fetched to say the least.
“I can’t have that, not a whole generation. Nobody approached me. If I ever got into trouble with the stewards it was for trying too hard.
“In 21 years I was involved in one stewards’ inquiry regarding one horse not trying its best.”
Michael Caulfield, chief executive of the Jockeys Association of Great Britain, dismissed the claims of former jockey Dermot Browne that he was able to administer tranquillisers to 27 horses on the orders of organised crime boss Brian Wright.
“He’s simply a man you can no longer believe and that was the case many, many years ago,” Caulfield told attheraces.
“I really cannot believe anything he comes out with on the topic of horseracing. He’s not a man who’s been seen for many years in the sport anyway as he’s been warned off.
“I simply don’t accept the fact that he was able to administer some form of drug or tranquilliser to 27 horses. I just don’t believe him and I’m quite open about that.”
David Nicholls called on the BBC to prove their allegations.
“To me it was very shallow and I did not see a lot of purpose in it. If what they say is true they should be able to show that these people received these backhanders, but I’ve never seen it,” the Thirsk trainer told attheraces.
“If what they say is true it is time not to criticise the Jockey Club but to stick together – and I’ve had my arguments with them.”
But Nicholls felt that it was time the Jockey Club threw away their “old- fashioned” image.
“They may have to move a little bit. Sometimes they can be a bit old-fashioned and they have to get away from that,” he added.
