Danny Brock guilty of 'extraordinary' conspiracy but issues blanket denial

Former jockey Danny Brock was found guilty on Tuesday of corrupt or fraudulent practices in relation to racing after a judicial panel found he had ridden to ensure defeat for the benefit of associates who had bet against his mounts.

Brock, who rode more than 100 winners from 2009 to 2021 but now works as a greyhound trainer, faces a possible ban from racing when the panel meets again on Thursday to consider what penalties to impose.

At a disciplinary hearing in December relating to nine all-weather races from December 2018 to September 2019, which he decided not to attend, Brock had been said to have been at the centre of what was described as an "extraordinary" conspiracy involving assistant trainer Sean McBride, Luke Olley, Eugene Maloney, Andrew Perring and Luke Howells.

Seven of the races examined by the panel involved Mochalov, a gelding Brock rode eight times, winning once and finishing second twice, sometimes when backed by the gamblers involved and sometimes laid. The panel concluded there were differences in the way Brock rode the horse which aligned with that betting.

"It defies belief that Mr Brock was engaging in these improper rides for his private amusement," the panel said. "It is obvious that his deliberately improper riding and the lay bets by his associates are not coincidental. There was nothing to explain why the gamblers were layers in the races where Mr Brock was not trying and backers in the races where he was."

The panel made lengthy criticism of Brock's ride on Samovar in a Southwell match race when his co-defendants collectively staked a five-figure sum on the only other runner. Brock was found to have been late to remove the hood and then to have made "no serious effort" apart from "a slight push about a furlong from home".

Southwell: the scene of Danny Brock's controversial ride on SamovarCredit: Edward Whitaker

McBride, who assists his father, Charlie, at a stable in Newmarket, was said to be a longstanding friend of Brock and to be in daily contact with him.

Betting evidence showed he deposited £7,200 on the day of Samovar's race, the largest deposit he ever made, and staked all of it on the only other runner Tricky Dicky, who won by ten lengths at an SP of 2-5. McBride is reported to have told the panel he was chasing losses and that Tricky Dicky was the only odds-on shot he could find. He denied having discussed the race with Brock.

But a BHA betting investigator told the panel there were three other runners at odds-on available that day and added that McBride's betting history did not generally focus on odds-on shots. Taking that into account, along with the fact the bets were unusually big for McBride, the panel decided not to believe the accused man.

Speaking to the Racing Post on Tuesday, Brock issued a blanket denial of the findings and took particular exception to the panel’s view of his ride on Samovar.

"I didn't do anything," he said. "I've stayed away from the whole thing. The picture that's being made of me is absolutely ridiculous.

"Samovar was the most awkward I've ever ridden, and he's been very, very awkward for many other jockeys. The horse has had six or seven stalls tickets [for causing trouble at the start].

"The blind came off absolutely perfect. Any earlier, the horse would have been worse. Any later, he would have been worse. Then they said I didn't push the horse until a furlong out. The horse got pushed three furlongs out."

Brock said he regretted not taking part in the hearing but added that he had needed to focus on his new job as a greyhound trainer, which he hopes to be allowed to continue, having no interest in getting back into racing regardless of the panel’s punishment on Thursday.

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain said it was aware of the panel's verdict and would consider any implications once all information, including a penalty, was known.

Olley, Maloney, Perring and Howells were all banned from racing in 2020 for refusing to co-operate with the BHA's inquiry. However, the panel has now found that no charges can be proved against Olley, for all that it has unanswered questions relating to him, including why he gifted two horses to a woman described as Brock's partner.

McBride was the only one of the charged men who co-operated at every stage and gave evidence before the panel. Charlie McBride said on Tuesday he had advised his son to make no public comment until after Thursday's hearing.

Read more:

'Big gambler' Sean McBride denies involvement in Danny Brock corruption case

Fearful Brock absent as case opens over 'extraordinary' conspiracy

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday