Four jockeys found guilty at BHA hearing

Jockeys Jimmy Quinn, Kirsty Milczarek, Greg Fairley and Paul Doe were all found in breach of the rules at a British Horseracing Authority hearing into alleged corruption, the findings of which were published today.

Former jockey Paul Fitzsimons, now a trainer, was found not guilty.

Fairley and Doe were handed bans of 12 years by the BHA disciplinary panel.

Milczarek was banned for two years, with Quinn given a six-month ban.

The bans take effect from midnight. Those disqualified have seven days, after the full reasons for findings and penalties are published, within which to appeal against the findings.

If an appeal is submitted, the penalty against them will remain in place unless the Appeal Board (Chairman) grants them a stay on the imposition of those penalties.

Quinn and Milczarek were booked to ride at Southwell and Kempton respectively tomorrow.

The riders, along with eight other individuals, faced charges relating to 10 races between January 17, 2009 and August 15, 2009.

Doe and Fairley were hit with the most serious breaches among 11 found guilty in all, and were the only two riders found guilty of deliberately ensuring horses did not run on their merits.

Quinn and Milczarek were found in breach of the old Rule 201 (v) ’Guilty of or conspires with any other person for the commission of, or connives at any other person being guilty of, any corrupt or fraudulent practice in relation to racing in this or any other country’.

Milczarek was also found in breach of former Rule 243 ’Passing information for reward’.

Doe was found in breach of former Rule 201 (v) and Rule 243, and two counts of former Rule 157 ’Where, in the opinion of the Stewards or the BHA, a Rider has intentionally failed to ensure that his horse is run on its merits the Rider shall be deemed in breach of this Rule and guilty of an offence’.

Fairley was found in breach of the old Rule 201 (v) and Rule 243, and one count of former Rule 157.

The BHA disciplinary panel found registered owners Maurice Sines and James Crickmore in breach of former Rule 201 (v) and also Rule 247 - laying a horse they owned on a betting exchange.

Five other individuals – Nick Gold, Peter Gold, Shaun Harris, David Kendrick and Liam Vasey – were found in breach of former Rule 201 (v).

Darren May was found not in breach of any rules.

Sines and Crickmore were given bans totalling 14 years each by the BHA disciplinary panel.

Vasey was banned for five years, Kendrick four years and Harris three years.

A decision on Nick and Peter Gold’s penalties will be made pending further written submissions.

Milczarek was in action at Lingfield this afternoon and Kempton this evening, riding a winner at the former after which she indicated her intention to lodge an appeal.

Quinn, who has ridden four winners for champion trainer Richard Hannon this year, is regarded as one of the strongest jockeys riding at a light weight. He was also riding at Kempton this evening.

In 2007 he rode Kingsgate Native to win the Nunthorpe Stakes for trainer John Best at York, as the horse became a rare two-year-old winner of that particular Group One event.

BHA director Paul Scotney said: ``While it is the names of the jockeys that the racing public will recognise, people should be under no illusions that it is the lesser known names who were the instigators of these serious breaches of the rules.

“What lies at the heart of this investigation are the actions of two individuals, Maurice Sines and James Crickmore, who, together with their associates, were prepared to corrupt jockeys and to cheat at betting by the misuse of ’inside information’.

“The investigation uncovered a network through which Sines and Crickmore engaged in betting activity, in particular with two riders, Paul Doe and Greg Fairley, that impacted on seven of the 10 races in question.

“In the BHA’s history, the scale and complexity of this case is unprecedented.”