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More on British Racing Scandal

The BBC breaks down the race fixing allegations against jockey Kieren Fallon and 15 others.
Some bettors aren’t too concerned about the accusations. “The general feeling was that the allegations were nothing new. ‘Everybody knows races are fixed,’ said Mr Daniels. ‘That’s part of the game, part of the allure. There might be ‘shock, horror!’ in the rest of society but to punters it’s more ‘tell us something we don’t know’. It’s like telling a 14-year-old that Santa doesn’t exist.'” (The Independent)
Fallon says, “I’ve been treated like a terrorist.” (The Guardian)

Posted in International on September 2, 2004

British Racing Scandal Breaks

In raids across the UK early Wednesday morning, police arrested 16 people — including six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon — for allegedly fixing 80 races. (The Guardian)
More: “Racing in crisis after Fallon arrested” (The Independent); “Fixing racing’s biggest problem” (BBC); “Solicitors expect Fallon to be cleared” (Racing Post).

Posted in International on September 1, 2004

280-1 Shot Wins, Sparking Investigation

A longshot’s win at Nottingham on Monday cost British bookmakers £500,000. The large payout to bettors on the horse, a two-year-old gelding named Exponential who lost his last race by 17 lengths yet showed dramatically improved form in Monday’s race, caught the attention of the Jockey Club, which has opened an investigation. Exponential’s trainer Stuart Williams is unconcerned with all the fuss, saying, “I think it was a question of some punters spotting good value for money.” (The Independent)

Posted in International on August 18, 2004