SANDRACER.COM - New HRA Rules For Insider Betting

Racing Industry Will See New Insider Betting Rules

New "insider betting" rules will be laid down by the HRA (horseracing regulatory authority) according to the BBC Inside Sport Programme

After a 2 year inquiry by the HRA into insider trading information relating to horse trainers, stable staff, owners and other closely related parties, new official rules are on their way relating to information that can be construed as relevant to "insider betting".

Over the last few years, many people involved with the racing industry, jockeys and trainers included, have been suspended or warned off for various infringements of official HRA rules that resulted in insider betting stings, most specifically involving the betting exchanges like Betfair, who are not to blame, may I add.

Paul Scotney, the HRA's head of security, told the BBC One Inside Sport programme that racing would probably never be 100 percent clean, but added: "Over the last 18 months, racing is much cleaner than it was.

"What there wasn't in the past was a perceived threat of being caught - and that's what we need to change.

"People need to see if they do wrong, they're likely to be caught, and if they're caught, they're likely to be substantially punished."

They will include a definition of insider trading, better education for jockeys, tighter rules for the media and greater powers for bookmakers.

The HRA says it is determined to do all it can to make racing honest.