• Matthew Thompson layed 34 horses from yards where he rode
• Friend says he may now sell pitches and make staff redundant
Matthew Thompson, a racecourse bookmaker for the past 15 years, was banned from racing for 18 months by the British Horseracing Authority's disciplinary panel on Friday after admitting that he had laid bets on horses from two yards where he was a registered work rider. Thompson, who rode out for Mick Easterby and Bill Moore while learning to ride to take part in a charity race, lost £764 on 34 lay bets on his Betfair account and may be forced to sell his racecourse pitches and make three members of staff redundant.
The detailed reasons for the finding and penalty against Thompson will not be published for several days, but in Friday's yesterday's statement the panel conceded that the bets in question "constituted a small percentage of his overall lay betting". It also accepted that the BHA "had not alleged corruption", that "Thompson's involvement with the trainers came about when he decided to ride on two occasions in charity races, having previously had no experience of race riding" and that he "had a previously faultless record".
However, it also noted that as an experienced bookmaker and a former racehorse owner, Thompson "should be fully aware of the rules of racing concerning lay betting". The BHA declared itself "satisfied by the decision".
Thompson rode in two charity races, at Bangor on 14 November 2007 and at Newcastle on 14 October 2008, to raise money for spinal injuries research via a fund set up following the paralysis of the jockey JP McNamara in a fall at Bangor in 2006. Thompson could not comment directly on the outcome as he was flying to America with his girlfriend and her daughter, who needs radiotherapy treatment for cancer.
"He's asked me to say that all he ever wanted to do was to ride a horse in a charity race," Jenny Woodcroft, a friend of Thompson, said on his behalf. "He made a loss on the 34 bets and now he's got to sell all his pitches and make three full-time staff redundant, because there's no way he can carry the business on with an 18-month disqualification.
"He admitted it, but he lays horses for a living. It's what he does, he lays lots of horses in lots of races.
"Matt signed the paper [at the yard] and didn't think much about it. All it meant was that he was on the stable staff list for insurance purposes."
Thompson is considering an appeal against the length of the suspension, which must be lodged within seven days.
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/aug/26/matthew-thompson-18-month-ban
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