Trainer Peter Blockley and jockey Dean McKeown have been warned off after being found giulty of corruption by the BHA.
Pair found guilty in BHA corruption case
Trainer Peter Blockley and jockey Dean McKeown have been warned off after being found guilty of corruption by the British Horseracing Authority.
McKeown has been hit with a four-year ban while Blockley has been disqualified for two-and-a-half years after being found guilty of breaching rule 201 (v) in that they conspired with other persons to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice.
The Lambourn handler was also found guilty of breaking rule 155(ii) in that he failed to give or cause to be given to McKeown such instructions as were necessary to ensure Hits Only Money ran on its merits at Wolverhampton in December 2005.
McKeown was judged by the BHA disciplinary panel to have breached rule 157 in that he intentionally failed to ensure that Only If I Laugh, Smith N Allan Oils, Hits Only Cash and Hits Only Money ran on their merits in races between June 2004 and December 2005.
McKeown told At The Races: "I'm devastated to be honest. Four years with no evidence to prove against me is amazing. All the races are going to be shown on At The Races and I hope viewers see them as they are, that there is no evidence of any wrong-doing in any of the rides.
"Some horses made the running, some I was sat just in behind the leaders. I gave them all rides.
"I suppose we will have to think over the next two days about appealing, (but) once again I would only be talking to people involved in the BHA anyway. So it is whether it is worthwhile. The only one good thing is I never paid a lot of money for a barrister to come down."
Owner Clive Whiting has also been found in breach of rule 201(v) and 220(vii)(b) in that he misled BHA investigators, and was disqualified for eight years.
Fellow owner David Lovatt and Martyn Wakefield, along with Whiting's brother Vincent, former owner Marcus Reeder, David Wright and Nicholas Rook have all been found guilty of breaching rule 201(v).
Vincent Whiting was excluded for four years, Wright disqualified for six years, Rook excluded for six years, Reeder and Wakefield disqualified for 18 months, and Wakefield disqualified for 18 months. Lovatt was fined £20,000.
Close acquaintances
Reeder and Wright have both been warned off for laying their own horses in the past, but those disqualifications have since ended.
During the six-day hearing which brought about the penalties, the panel heard that the Wright and Rook accounts were used with greater frequency in the 11 races than in others.
The panel took the view that McKeown's relationship with Clive Whiting was "much closer than the normal professional relationship of a jockey with an owner for whom he rode regularly. They were friends and had business dealings. McKeown became in effect Clive Whiting's racing advisor."
For this reason "the panel was convinced that McKeown was fully aware that his input about the chances of the horses he rode in eight of the suspect races was being used for lay betting organised by Clive Whiting".
Where Blockley was concerned the panel judged that "Blockley was aware from the outset that his opinions would be put to use for the purpose of lay betting through the Whitings".
The BHA later announced a slight difference to Blockley's disqualification which contemplates "allowing relief for the usual effects of disqualification so that his ability to continue to live in his present house is not affected".
They also indicated that as and when he should apply to work in racing stables that he should be allowed to be employed by an appropriate licence holder in his yard.
All parties have seven days to appeal from receipt of the panel's written reasons for the penalties.
