Abusive messages sent to trainers estimated to have dropped by a third

Abusive and malicious messages to trainers are estimated to have dropped by a third since a new reporting service was launched by the National Trainers Federation (NTF) last year.

Headed by retired former police superintendent Sean Memory, the service has also been adopted by the Professional Jockeys Association in an attempt to hold the senders of malign communications to account through regulatory or criminal proceedings.

As a direct consequence of the service, police investigations are taking place into a series of calls made last year by an individual threatening to attack trainers with acid and into homophobic slurs and death threats made against a female jockey.

Trainers and jockeys are able to report abusive messages directly to the service, with these investigated by the NTF and Memory. The total of such messages is estimated to have dropped from 30 to 20 a month as a result of individuals being pursued for their comments.

Speaking about the service for the first time, Memory said: “Those who I’ve desisted from their behaviour, and that would be ten or twelve people, none of them have sent messages back to the trainers. Some of them had sent 50, 60, 70 messages over the last couple of years. In terms of measuring success, I’ve at least removed them from being a thorn in the side of the trainers.

“Talking to some of the trainers, they are seeing less volume of traffic coming through. We were initially seeing about 30 a month and that’s dropped down to 20, but there are new trainers who are receiving assistance all of the time.”

Memory said racing professionals should expect “feedback” on the likes of social media in the event of a mistake or an underperformance, such as a bad ride or a horse not staying the distance. However, abuse, intimidation and nuisance behaviour should not be tolerated by them.

He said: “If I identify a certain trend I will then find out who’s sending them, if I am able to, and then, either via email or whatever source they’re sending from, I’ll contact them, saying this has to stop or further regulatory action may be taken.

“I got one the other day that said: ‘An absolutely abysmal ride from a c*** of a jockey. I always say the worst thing about the Flat is that jockeys have very little chance of a serious injury. That jockey deserves to suffer one soon as that’s cost me a bundle of cash. I seriously hope he has health problems that badly affect him and his family. I can only live in hope’. That’s a serious one and that was dealt with immediately.

“Oddly, you might expect that I’d get a volley of abuse back, but only one has responded in that way. All the rest have gone, ‘I’m sorry, can I apologise?’”

Alongside individuals sending abusive messages, Memory said the service provided information to enable the BHA to take action against figures operating a betting scam. The perpetrators of the fraud had called members of the public, alleging to be trainers and asking for bets to be placed on their behalf, with any winnings returned to the scammers, who would disappear when asked to refund any stakes on losing bets.

The NTF was also engaging with bookmakers to potentially suspend the accounts of people identified as sending malicious messages, according to Memory, who said that his lifelong passion for horseracing had motivated him to be involved in helping its participants.

“We all accept that we’re probably only scratching the surface of what’s going on out there,” he said. “But if I can make a difference and make the lives of these people a little easier, and let them get on with what they’re doing without fear, then that has to be a positive thing.”

Read more:

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