Jockey Danny Brock accused of purposely stopping horses in ‘extraordinary’ betting and corruption scandal

A JOCKEY at the centre of an ‘extraordinary’ betting corruption conspiracy is accused of purposely stopping horses in races.

The claim centres around a match race at Southwell in 2019 when Danny Brock was noticeably slow out of the stalls.

GettyFormer jockey Brock is accused of purposely stopping horses in races as part of an ‘extraordinary’ betting conspiracy[/caption]

In this match race Samovar was noticeably slow out of the stalls under Brock

The horse never got anywhere near and the other jockey had to turn round to see where Brock was

Commentator Mike Cattermole said at the time horse Samovar blew the start after the horse’s ‘blindfold came off too late’.

But a British Horseracing Authority independent inquiry heard Brock would tip off his mates which horses he would purposely ‘stop’.

Likewise, he would tell them he would ‘ride a horse well’ so the co-accused would know when to stake thousands on him to win.

Nine races in all are under scrutiny.

Former jockey Brock declined to take part in the hearing.

The panel denied his request to have the case heard in private after he cited fears against his safety.

Representing the BHA, Louis Weston said: “Mr Brock told bettors that he was going to ride a horse normally or ride a horse well and they backed him.

“He then told them when he was going to stop a horse and when he did that, they either laid the horse or they bet on his opponent in a match race.

“So the conspiracy we allege against all of the persons charged before the inquiry is that they engaged or joined in a conspiracy to commit a fraudulent or corrupt practice against the rules of racing.”

On another occasion it was alleged Brock was ‘prepared to stop’ the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Mochalov in races at Lingfield in December 2018 and Chelmsford in March 2019.

The horse finished fourth of six at Lingfield having been sent off 33-1 and fifth of 11 at Chelmsford at 6-1.

At Lingfield the horse was held up and dropped to last four furlongs out before passing rivals late on.

At Chelmsford the horse was slowly away and held up in rear before picking up late on.

Weston said the betting on the races in question was ‘extraordinary’.

Andrew Perring, Eugene Maloney, Luke Olley and Luke Howells did not attend the hearing after being charged with involvement in in corrupt or fraudulent practices.

Sean McBride, the son of Newmarket trainer Philip McBride, did attent and denies the charge.

Weston alleged before the Southwell race, Perring, Maloney and McBride placed their biggest ever bets on Tricky Dicky – the other horse in the race.

He said: “Those three accounts, all connected to Brock, took 51.44 per cent of the profit on the Sportsbook market of Betfair.

“So between the three of them they took half the market.

“I say the fact that there is this extraordinary betting is strong support that the rides themselves were going to be stopping rides.

“When the horse is going to put up a proper performance they back and when the horse is going be stopped, or there is an agreement that it will be stopped, they lay.”

Of Brock’s absence, Weston said: “I would invite you to draw some adverse inferences in relation to Mr Brock.

“He has had every opportunity to contest what I say about his rides and he is choosing not to.

“I would invite you, where he was subject to the rules at the time and could be compelled to come but has chosen not to come, to draw the inference he has no good reason and is using the excuse of publicity as a shield to avoid questioning.

“All because he simply does not have a good answer to it. You should add that inference to the evidence against him.”

Brock was given a week-long ban from racing three years ago after using a whip modified with elastic bands on a horse.

He claimed they had been left there by mistake – and said he had received death threats and been ‘treated like a murderer’ in the aftermath.

The hearing continues.