Racing:Robert Winston, seen as a possible future champion jockey, was banned from riding for a year today after a probe into race-fixing by Britain's Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA).
Fellow jockey Robbie Fitzpatrick was given a three-year ban
while former jockeys Luke Fletcher and Fran Ferris were given
three- and two-year suspensions respectively, the HRA's
disciplinary panel announced.
Winston, who ran 136 winners last year, will be allowed to
continue working in racing but the other three are prohibited from
entering licensed premises such as stables and courses.
All were accused of passing inside information about horses
they were due to ride to then-bookmaker Ian Nicholl, who laid these
horses to lose through various online betting accounts in other
people's names.
The disciplinary panel inquiry to consider whether
Fitzpatrick, Winston, Fletcher and Ferris, former bookmaker Nicholl
and four other people had breached the Rules of Racing concluded on
January 22nd after a nine-day hearing at the headquarters of the
HRA in London.
The nine faced charges relating to 37 races between June 2003
and February 2004. The findings are the latest in a series of cases
to harm the image of racing in Britain.
In December, jockeys Brian Reilly and Dean Williams were
suspended for 18 months over their links with owner and bookmaker
Owen Churchill, who was banned for eight years and fined
£2,000.
Later this year jockeys Tony Culhane and Dean Mernagh and two
relatives of Culhane face charges over 37 races between July 2003
and February 2004.
Four other jockeys, a trainer, a former owner and six other
people also face charges over 40 races between September 2004 and
March 2005.
Former champion Kieren Fallon and two other jockeys go on
trial in September after being charged by police in July with
conspiracy to defraud customers of Internet betting exchange
Betfair.