SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Hayley Turner has had her jockey’s license suspended for three months after breaching the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) rules against betting.
Although Turner’s stakes weren’t excessive and she had not placed bets on races she was involved in, the BHA deemed her actions to be in breach of a rule that was familiar to everyone involved in horse racing.
Jamie Stier, chief regulatory officer at the BHA, commented: “It is a strict requirement under the rules of racing in Britain that licensed jockeys do not place bets on any races.
“It is simply not appropriate to the public’s perception of the sport’s integrity that those who are licensed to ride in races should be able to bet on the sport, even on races in which they are not participating. This is consistent with other major sports.”
Stier added: “The case was heard by an independent disciplinary panel who are responsible for determining the penalty.
Hayley Turner has made a full admission and apology regarding the rules breaches she has committed, and the BHA’s position was that it is appropriate that this should be considered mitigation when it comes to determining a penalty. The guideline entry point for an offence of this nature is an 18-month disqualification.”
Turner, who works as a broadcaster for ITV Racing, created a Paddy Power account in December 2015 a month after she had retired from racing, however she continued using the account even after she had reapplied for her license later that year.
All together Turner placed a total of 164 bets, before Paddy Power notified the BHA of its believe that she was breaching the rules. The ban will be enforced with immediate effect, however she will still be able to work on racecourses.
Responding to the ban, Turner stated: “At the end of the day I made a huge mistake and have to suffer the penalty as I did break the rules.
“The problem was I saw myself as a television pundit rather than as a jockey, which explains as to why I started betting while working on ATR and on ITV.
“Three months is a long time and I do think it is quite harsh, especially as I have a mortgage to pay, but I have just got to take it on the chin.”
