HRA increase punishements

The Horseracing Regulatory Authority has announced it will be raising the penalties for those found guilty of passing information for reward.

From July 26, the entry point for a breach of rule 243 by a jockey, trainer, owner or agent will be 18 months disqualification with a range of nine months to five years.

Currently, the penalty has ranged from six months suspension or disqualification with a range of three months to three years.

Explaining the HRA’s decision to increase the penalties, director of regulation Malcolm Wallace said: “We review all our penalties at the end of every calendar year.

“However, the HRA board was asked to consider increasing the penalties for passing information for reward in the immediate aftermath of the publication of Paul Scotney’s Inside Information Working Group recommendations.

“Whilst the current guidelines give the option of disqualification, in practice the penalties handed down to riders or trainers by the disciplinary panel have invariably been suspensions.

“We believe that preventing licensed and registered people who are found guilty of this offence from any involvement in racing more accurately reflects the seriousness of the offence and will act as a much greater deterrent than suspension.

“To make a direct comparison, under the current guidelines a jockey found guilty of passing information for reward might have received a suspension of one year.

“Under the revised guidelines, the penalty for the same offence would be a period of disqualification in the region of 18 months, which can be increased if there are aggravating factors for the panel to take into account.”