Racehorse TALK

UK jockeys banned over breaches

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10 July
The Horseracing Regulatory Authority (UK)

Jockey Tony Culhane was banned for 12 months and colleague Dean Mernagh for nine months following a probe over the use of inside information in 37 races between July 2003 and February 2004.

The Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) on Monday also punished Culhane's brother-in-law Gary Lyons, a former jockey, and Culhane's father-in-law Dave Watkins.

Culhane is a leading jockey in the north of England but has been out of action since a fall in April.

The HRA said in a statement after a meeting of its disciplinary panel that Culhane and Mernagh passed on inside information to Lyons.

That information was then used for betting purposes by Lyons on internet betting exchange accounts held by Watkins, who had "profited considerably".

Watkins, described as the central figure in the case, was banned from racing activity for at least five years and Lyons for at least two.

The panel said Culhane received no reward but as a senior jockey he should have known the consequence of his actions.

Mernagh received STG2,000 ($A4,699) for providing information on 10 races.

"Jockeys who engage in such behaviour undermine the very fabric of racing," the panel said.

As mitigation, both jockeys had admitted their guilt and offered to help the HRA in its investigations. The panel made it clear that no charges has been made over the way the jockeys rode in any of the races involved.

In February, two jockeys and two ex-jockeys were banned in a another case involving inside information. They include Robert Winston, seen as a possible future champion, who was barred for a year.

Monday's sanctions came five days after the HRA concluded a lengthy industry-wide consultation into the whole subject of the use of inside information.