Ladbrokes Coral rejects the idea that trainers get preferential prices

Responding to the case that led to British trainer David Evans receiving a £3,000 fine from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Ladbrokes Coral has affirmed its consistency between prices offered to trainers and other customers.

It comes after it was revealed that Evans placed a bet of £6,000 on his horse Black Dave at 4/1, whilst many bookmakers had the Evan’s trained seven year old priced up at 7/2.

Speaking after Evans was handed what he himself described as a ‘very lenient’ punishment by the BHA, Ladbrokes Coral’s PR Director Simon Clare outlined that “this incident pre-dated the Ladbrokes Coral merger, so it’s difficult to comment on the specifics.”

Clare did however go onto state: “The current Ladbrokes Coral trading policy is very clear on this issue as we will only lay licensed trainers prices that are readily available to our other customers at that time. We’ll also never knowingly shorten the price of a suspected non-runner to benefit from an improved rule 4 deduction.

“In fact, Ladbrokes Coral has recently been proactive in working with the BHA to achieve a process whereby non-runners are notified and removed from markets more quickly, so that the whole non-runner process is more efficient and transparent for both bookmakers and customers.”

Prior to deciding whether to release a comment on the case, The BHA will analyse the findings of the disciplinary panel. However, its code of conduct does state that trainers should “ensure relationships with betting organisations, or any person representing a betting organisation, do not confer special privileges or concessions which may invite adverse inferences to be drawn.”

Ladbrokes Coral also emphasised that it wouldn’t shorten the price of a horse that it has prior knowledge will be pulled out, in order to manipulate any potential impact of a pending rule 4.