Betfair Pony Racing Busts

Published: Thursday, January 11, 2007 Online-Casinos.com

BETFAIR PONY RACING BUSTS

Owner charged with laying bets against his own horse

Yet another Betfair horse racing scandal seemed to be brewing this week as The Scotsman reported on a charges laid against horse owners by the Horse Racing Regulatory Authority in the UK.

Anthony Ramsden and Robert Owen, two non-registered owners, have been charged by the HRA in issues arising from their ownership of a horse called Mickmacmagoole.

Ramsden and Owen were found to each own a one-third share in the horse despite James Roberts being registered with Horseracing Ireland as the sole owner. They therefore both face a charge of a breach of Rule 112 (iii) - which states that all owners must be registered - in relation to the gelding's entries in four races at various tracks in 2005.

Ramsden is also charged with a breach of Rule 247 in that he laid Mickmacmagoole to lose through his Betfair account prior to the gelding's run at Wolverhampton on 14 December, 2005, a race the horse won under his brother-in-law, Jamie Spencer.

Owen is also accused of breaking the same rule after laying the gelding to lose through his Betfair account when the horse ran at Warwick on 8 October, 2005, where he finished sixth of 15, the Wolverhampton race in November 2005 and Southwell on 12 December that year, a race Mickmacmagoole also won.

The HRA disciplinary panel are scheduled to consider the case on 1 February.

Meanwhile, jockeys Robert Winston, Robbie Fitzpatrick, Fran Ferris and Luke Fletcher were all on hand as their hearing at the HRA began yesterday.

The four are accused of having provided information for reward or passing information that would subsequently be used for corrupt gain that otherwise was not in the public domain. Winston and his weighing room colleagues were present as the inquiry, for which officials have set aside ten days, got underway at the HRA's Shaftesbury Avenue headquarters.