Jockeys union backing riders
Jockeys’ Association chief executive John Blake said today that his organisation will offer full support to the three jockeys arrested as part of an investigation into allegations of race-fixing.
Champion jockey Kieren Fallon, as well as journeyman riders Fergal Lynch and Darren Williams, were all detained by police after dawn raids this morning.
“We represent all the professional jockeys in the country and are offering support to the jockeys as we speak, although I don’t actually know where two of them are being held,” Blake told Sky News.
“As soon as that information is released we will ensure that they are represented straight away. I haven’t spoken to Kieren but I have spoken to his solicitor, who is on his way to see him. It’s a surprise to him, as it is to me.
“He (Fallon) is a very public figure and is the six-time champion jockey. He attracts a lot of attention. It was a surprise he is involved in this, but we don’t know the evidence that has been brought to play.
“This is probably the start of a normal investigation, which may take weeks or it may take months. No charges have yet been brought and we will see where we go from here.”
Blake admitted that the very nature of racing means the sport will always attract unwanted publicity from time to time.
He went on: “Racing is inextricably linked to betting and there is an element of suspicion about almost every single day, in terms of punters who have bets on races which don’t work out how their opinion thinks it would.
“They may be a bit suspicious of the jockey or trainer. The betting landscape has changed in the last few years in terms of betting exchanges and I think that is the important point to make. They give people the ability to back a horse to lose in a race and I think that has cast a lot of suspicion on the motives of individuals, whether they be trainers, owners or indeed jockeys.
“There is a great deal of concern from jockeys for themselves personally and for the profession as a whole.
“What I would say categorically is that jockeys do take security matters very seriously – jockeys do have a big part to play in the integrity of racing and public confidence.
“People have to make their own minds up about these things, but the headlines are not great for racing and we would be the first to admit that.”
Betdaq spokesman Rob Hartnett defended the betting exchanges and highlighted their ability to provide a paper trail of the activities of members.
He told the BBC: “The ability of an online company to monitor all the bets and attribute every single bet to every single account holder as they place a bet does actually enable the authorities to take a much more granular look at what has actually happened.
“If you walk into a betting shop and you place a bet and walk out, there’s no record that you have placed that bet in any shape or form.
“With an online exchange, there is a record of every bet struck, and all the betting exchanges have worked with the Jockey Club and other sporting authorities to make sure that the sport is run properly and cleanly.”
He added: “Hopefully, even though there may be some short-term pain after the arrests that have taken place this morning, in the longer term I think people’s view is that the sport is clean and well-run and well-managed.”
