Brock accused of stopping horses to benefit 'spider's web' of bettors in inquiry

Danny Brock must wait to learn the outcome of a major disciplinary hearing after being accused of stopping horses to benefit a "spider's web" of individuals placing significant bets using inside information.

The former jockey, who chose not to attend all three days of the independent inquiry citing fears for his and his family's safety, was allegedly involved in corrupt or fraudulent practices relating to racing alongside Sean McBride, assistant trainer to his father Charlie, Luke Olley, Luke Howells, Eugene Maloney and Andrew Perring.

He is said to have breached four BHA rules, including relaying inside information and not riding horses on their merits to achieve the best possible placings in nine all-weather races between December 2018 and September 2019. The closing submissions were heard on Friday and the independent panel will deliberate over the evidence on Tuesday, although it is possible the verdict will not be delivered on the day.

Louis Weston, representing the BHA, described Olley as being at the heart of a "spider's web" said to have utilised inside information to stake large sums on contests involving Brock. Five of them relate to Mochalov, while the other two involved Resurrected and Samovar, whose defeat in a match race was the main focus of the inquiry.

Weston argued Brock deliberately broke awkwardly to lose the race at Southwell in March 2019 after his sole rival Tricky Dicky had been backed into odds-on favouritism by McBride, Perring, Maloney and Howell. McBride, who was the only one of those involved to appear in person, said he was chasing his losses from the previous day and described two calls to Brock around that time as being unsuspicious. He also maintained he did not encourage the others to place a bet.

"These are not people who are dancing individually on the disco floor, they are going around in one great conga," argued Weston. "They're mirroring each other's steps and following the same pattern.

"Olley disseminates information to the others and these people know it's extraordinary as they bet more than what they would normally do and it's based on what Danny Brock is going to do on the course."

McBride, who is not said to have been involved in the races relating to Mochalov, provided bank statements on Thursday to show it was not uncommon for him to stake thousands of pounds on horses, and he told the panel he had a history of getting others to place bets for him due to restrictions on his betting accounts. They include Olley, who is said to have placed a winning bet for McBride on Resurrected, a winner at Chelmsford in 2019 when trained by his father Charlie.

Weston described McBride as a "charming man", but insisted he was not an "honest, truthful or coherent witness or historian". He also argued McBride only bet large sums when using inside information.

This was refuted by Philip Morris, representing McBride, who argued that on the balance of probabilities the BHA had failed to prove that Brock's ride on Samovar, who went off at 2-1, was a stopping one.

"We submit that the unpredictability of the horse is a matter that should be properly taken into account," said Morris. "Allied with Mr Brock's explanation to the stewards on the day and Mr McBride's representation to the panel of his interpretation of the race, there's a question mark over whether this was a stopping ride or a bad one."

This is not the first time Brock, whose first winner came in 2009, has faced disciplinary action. Three years ago he was banned for seven days for using a modified whip on Resurrected in their Chelmsford victory. He claimed the elastic bands attached to his whip were left there in error and that he received death threats after the incident.

He has not ridden since receiving a 30-day ban for a series of whip offences in July 2021 after a disciplinary panel heard he broke the whip rules on one ride in every seven during the first half of the year.

Brock recorded three winners from 38 rides in 2021, and enjoyed his best season in 2014, when he partnered 27 winners from 218 rides.

Read more here:

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