Accused Fallon 'gave losing horse a good ride'

One of the jockeys accused of throwing races in a multi-million pound betting scam declared he had given his horse a “good ride” in one of the suspected races, the Old Bailey in London heard today.

Darren Williams, 29, was quizzed by an investigator from the security department at the Jockey Club, then the sport’s ruling body, in January 2003.

They wanted to know about his tactics for his ride on Legal Set, the joint top-rated horse at in the 2.15pm race at Lingfield on December 30 2002.

For some reason the price on the horse drifted from 9-4 to 5-1 on the Betfair, the online betting exchange, and it eventually had a starting price of 4-1 with bookmakers, the jury was told.

Williams was asked if he gave the horse “too much to do” after being held up at the rear and dropped his hands to give the horse a “tender finish”.

Williams said he was “quite annoyed actually” at this suggestion.

“I gave the horse a good ride to the instructions given to me,” according to the interview read out in court.

“I got stopped twice on one run, on the straight and just turning in.

“The other thing I’d like to say is I’ve always won on that horse – not hitting him ever. Same as Fergal Lynch. He’s won on him on the same tactics - not hitting him.”

Williams, Lynch and six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon are among six defendants accused of involvement in a conspiracy with others between December 2002 and September 2004 to defraud Betfair customers and other punters.

Legal Set was owned by Platinum Racing and trained by Karl Burke.

Williams spoke to Mr Burke after the race and told him that Legal Set “really enjoyed being dropped in”.

Williams told the investigator: “I said (to Mr Burke) I should really have won and apologised to the owners, telling them if I could have ridden the race again I would have done a couple of things different.

“I also asked Mr Burke if I could ride him again the same way and he agreed.”

Fallon, 42, formerly of Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, but now of Tipperary, Ireland, and fellow jockeys Fergal Lynch, 29, of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and Williams, of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, deny the charge.

Shaun Lynch, 37, of Belfast, Miles Rodgers, 38, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, and Philip Sherkle, 42, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, also plead not guilty.

Rodgers also denies concealing the proceeds of crime.

The Rodgers accounts had staked £73,820 on Legal Set to lose and stood to make £20,759 if it did lose, the jury has been told.

Rodgers was also interviewed by the Jockey Club, now the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), in January 2003.

He denied betting that Legal Set would lose in 2.15pm at Lingfield or on any other horse in that race.

He said he did not have a Betfair account but refused to give permission for the investigator to approach Betfair or any other exchange about any account he had, the jury was told.

William Nunnelly, a senior stipendiary steward at the BHA, described the role of stewards at every race course who act as referees to see if there is anything improper is taking place.

He said they were trained to spot things such as interference, over-use of the whip and if a horse was not being ridden to his best ability.

James Sturman QC, for Darren Williams, said: “The stewards on duty in England day in day out are the finest anywhere in the world?”

Mr Nunnelly told the court: “I am biased but I think they do a very good job.”

Mr Sturman said: “These fine stewards were on duty and watching the races these jurors are concerned about.”

Mr Nunnelly replied: “Yes, they did.”

The hearing was adjourned until Monday. All the defendants are on bail.