Danny Brock Banned From Horse Racing
Former jockey Danny Brock has been banned from horse racing for fifteen years after being found guilty of participating in a betting conspiracy. The British Horseracing Authority deemed that the jockey had deliberately stopped three horses. Brock, who stopped riding as a jockey in 2021, has also had his greyhound training license temporarily suspended.
The panel found Brock guilty of conspiring to lose races so that his acquaintances could profit from large bets. ©Tom Fisk/Pexels
Betting Conspiracy
The British Horseracing Authority has disqualified former jockey Danny Brock for fifteen years. The ruling came after its independent disciplinary panel found him guilty of conspiring to profit from races. Brock breached corruption and fraud rules by deliberately stopping three horses. Five other individuals took part in the conspiracy, betting against his horses.
The BHA carried out a disciplinary hearing into the rider’s actions in December. It found that Brock had altered the course of races on three occasions between December 2018 and March 2019. The panel also took into consideration six other races, noting the difference between rides during which Brock was attempting to win and when he was not.
The panel concluded that there was an evident pattern between the outcome of the races and betting habits of the five other individuals involved in the case. Those individuals were Luke Olley, Andrew Perring, Luke Howells, Eugene Maloney and Sean McBride, an assistant trainer in Newmarket.
Brock was able to attain profitable results for the group by stalling his horses early in the race. In one case, a five-furlong race that took place at Southwell on March 7th, 2019, Brock was riding Samovar. His co-conspirators staked a five-figure sum on Tricky Dicky, the only other runner in the two-horse race, to win.
Brock caused Samovar to hang back in the stalls by removing the horse’s blindfold late. He then made little effort to catch up with his competitor, who beat him by ten lengths. McBride was found to have deposited £7,200 into his betting account on the morning of the race, all of which he bet on Tricky Dicky to win. At the time, his average back bet was £209.
Maloney also staked £6,000 on Samovar’s opponent to win, his largest deposit with Betfair. Perring, a friend of Brock and Maloney, bet £2,248 on Tricky Dicky, while Howells bet £2,200 on the same horse.
Modified Whip
In another two races, Brock was found to have prevented his horse Mochalov from gaining the best possible placing. He lost those races after a number of four-figure bets were placed against him. The panel also noted the results of another race, which took place on September 19th 2019. Brock raced Resurrected, who had been backed from long odds to start at 10-1.
Brock used a modified whip on the filly, which he had tied an elastic band around the tip of. At the time, the jockey was fined £140. The whip was later found to have left a weal on Resurrected and Brock was banned from riding for seven days. The panel stated that had the previous panel had the evidence it now had, the penalty would have been more severe.
Following the 2019 race, Brock feared that his career was over. Speaking to the Racing Post, he said that he had received death threats. The rider claimed that he had been sent messages from people wanting to break his legs and wishing that he ended up in a wheelchair. Two years later, Brock retired from horse racing.
Brock chose not to take time away from his new career as a greyhound trainer to attend the recent hearing. His disqualification from racing takes effect immediately, although the rider has not ridden professionally as a jockey since 2021. The horses ridden by Brock in the fixed contests have also been disqualified.
All of the individuals involved, except for McBride, failed to cooperate with the hearing. Howells, Perring and Maloney have been excluded since 2020 and cannot appeal for fifteen years. The panel was not able to prove any of Olley’s alleged breaches, although he too has been excluded since 2020 for failing to assist in the BHA’s investigation.
Greyhound Training License Suspended
McBride, an assistant to his father, Newmarket trainer Charlie McBride, gave evidence in front of the panel. He was disqualified from the sport for seven years. Issuing a statement following the ruling, the BHA made it clear that it will not tolerate corruption in racing. The spokesperson said:
“The conduct of the individuals found in breach in this case risked undermining confidence in our sport and flagrantly disregarded the hard work and dedication of people up and down the country who carry out their duties in good faith.”
The BHA emphasized the importance of integrity and fairness in racing, both for fans and bettors. Participants too must have complete confidence that they are completing on a level playing field. The BHA thanked the panel for its diligence during the hearing and reaching its final judgement.
Brock is considering an appeal, and has rejected the BHA’s judgement as ‘ludicrous’. He claims that the panel has made him out to be someone that he is not. Brock’s participation in corruption and fraudulent practices in horse racing is now having an impact on his current career.
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain has temporarily suspended his training license while it carries out its own investigation. Brock acts as a greyhound trainer at Harlow in Essex, where he oversees the care of forty dogs. A spokesperson for the organization said:
“Whilst we are not aware of any evidence to suggest these practices related in any way to greyhound racing, GBGB considers that the conduct found proved by those proceedings is serious and may amount to a breach of GBGB’s rules of racing.”
