The curious case of a jockey having a flutter

One of the oldest taboos in racing is jockeys betting on horses. Yet one of the game’s great unspoken secrets – in public discourse – is that plenty of them have a punt on the Q.T.

In the olden days, when direct cash transactions with bookmakers were the principal channel of racing betting, it was harder for jockeys to get the money down. But times have changed and nowadays particularly the anonymity of online gambling has made stipendiary stewards’ job of policing the flow of punting money a rather different ballgame.

Racing old timers might dimly remember the last time a jockey was bust for having a flutter, but it would be a “war story” that the younger set would roll their eyes at.

All of which makes a rarity of this week’s press release about jockey Sean Veale falling foul of the National Horseracing Authority. Indeed, the NHA seems to have been quite excited by the unusual incident, judging by the length of its communique. Regular judgments handed down by the regulatory body are notable for sparseness of comment and detail.

Hefty fines

The release reveals that Veale and “a registered owner” were informed on by someone who got wind of illegal betting. It makes reference to “recorded communication” and urges stakeholders to use whistleblower channels if they come across such wrongdoing.

Both Veale and the unnamed owner admitted guilt over placing at least three bets, including one on Race 2 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday 15 February “which would benefit both parties”.

Veale was fined R80,000, R50,000 of which was suspended for two years on condition he is not found guilty of any corrupt, dishonest or illegal practice during this period. The owner was fined R20,000, of which R10,000 was suspended for two years.

One thing the NHA is not making public is whether the sneaky punts were successful or not. But that’s what everyone wants to know. Was it worth the risk – or indeed the punishment?

The Kenilworth race mentioned was won by well-bred juvenile first-timer Dreamworld – ridden by Veale and starting as a hot 15-10 favourite.

Tip-offs

The NHA release concludes: “The matter illustrates the importance of information being made available to all stake holders, which includes the largest stakeholder group, the betting public, and not only to a select few who wish to prosper from inside information.

“The NHA encourages all stake holders to advise if they receive any advances from licensed riders involving betting on races. For this reason, and to illustrate that all information will be kept confidential, the name of the owner involved has been retained for the internal records of the NHA.”

Contact details of the Anonymous Reporting Line are:

Free Call telephone number: 0800 220 777
E-mail: NHA@tip-offs.com
Website: www.tip-offs.com

These facilities are independently managed by DELOITTE TIP-OFFS ANONYMOUS 24/7, 365 days a year.