Owners 'were literally begging me' not to win at Brighton, alleges jockey Ray Dawson

An owner was “literally begging” for a horse to be prevented from winning a race at Brighton, jockey Ray Dawson told a disciplinary panel on Tuesday.

Royston Cooper, who has been charged with asking for a horse to be stopped on two occasions, denied he, or co-accused Royston Barney, had asked for Enough Already to be prevented from winning at Brighton or Yarmouth in May 2022.

Cooper, who runs a business providing bungalows in gated communities for the retired and semi-retired, was present at Brighton on behalf of his son, Barney, the registered owner of Enough Already, and is alleged to have told Dawson and trainer Henry Spiller to stop the horse.

“[He] asked me in the parade ring to stop the horse,” Dawson said. “They were literally begging me, something about not being able to get their money on.”

Dawson subsequently rode Enough Already at Yarmouth and told the panel he had interpreted Spiller rolling his eyes when the trainer collected the saddle as a sign the owners did not want the horse to win.

“I interpreted it as the owners wanted the horse to lose as that’s what they wanted at Brighton,” Dawson said. “As a jockey and trainer who wanted to win we both felt very angry about Brighton so as soon as Henry looked at me that way it was pretty obvious what he was indicating.”

"[He] asked me in the parade ring to stop the horse"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Enough Already won at Yarmouth, after which Dawson said Cooper and Barney spoke with him in a threatening manner in the winner’s enclosure and on the way to the weighing room.

“[Cooper] said I want 200 grand and his son was mumbling something about ‘why didn’t I pull on the reins?’ I said, ‘Lads, I don’t stop horses’. It was surreal,” Dawson said. “I don’t know if [Cooper] said he would kill me but he was muttering under his breath about ‘on his mother’s grave’. That’s a phrase people use when they are threatening you.”

Adrian Keeling, representing Cooper, suggested Dawson had made a complaint to the Yarmouth stewards because he was concerned the owners were going to make their own report having alleged the jockey and trainer had put them off backing Enough Already to ensure they got a better price for themselves.

“I don’t see why I would want to put myself in this position if it didn’t happen – it would be crazy,” Dawson said. “I was put in this position and I felt I had to do the right thing for the sport and for myself.”

Cooper told the panel his relationship with Spiller and Dawson changed after a race at Chelmsford between Brighton and Yarmouth when they discovered how big the owners like to bet.

The atmosphere became “frosty”, according to Cooper, after he and Barney disclosed they had won approximately £100,000 on a Spiller-trained horse. Describing his gambling, Cooper said: “If everything was positive and it was all stations go, I would have a minimum of £10,000 and sometimes I would have £20,000.”

Cooper alleged he intended to have £20,000 on Enough Already at Yarmouth but was dissuaded by Spiller and Dawson, who were “very negative” about his chances. Instead, he backed Mr Trick, who finished a head second, having spoken with the horse’s owners.

Dawson’s allegation that he was threatened was dismissed by Cooper, who said: “I was very angry after the race. When Mr Dawson came in I said ‘why did you do that?’ He sort of tutted and didn’t want to give any answer. I swore once at him and said he was a bastard for [winning] but I did not threaten him.”

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

Read this next:

Former trainer Henry Spiller and jockey Ray Dawson allege owners threatened them following gelding's Yarmouth win 

The Racing Post is now available to follow on WhatsApp channels! Follow Racing Post Insider on WhatsApp and you can now start receiving messages and alerts for the latest news, tips, insights, live reactions and much more. Click the group link and get Racing Post notifications straight to your phone via WhatsApp.