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Jockey Club are at long last looking into Jock Mc Crakken and racehorse owner and a known friend of convicted drugs smuggler Brian Wright who also has been warned off for fixing races.<br>I mentioned on this site ages ago that jockey Mattie Batchelor is no longer welcome at Gary Moore’s stable and no longer has any rides for the yard. <br>It may well turn out that these two topics are connected. (it all depends on how thorough the investigation is).;)
I cannot say very much about this but Jocks men have staked over 50k a week in cash in recent months in betting shops in my city one of the shops being a Ladbrokes who eventaully chucked them out when they won 27K on a greyhound forecast.<br>
Let me tell you story,<br> <br>Once upon a time unscrupulous people in the racing game, i.e. jockeys, trainers, stable lads, owners, approached on-course bookmakers with information that allowed us to take millions of pounds out of crooked races and we were all happy.
Now they bypass us and go direct to exchanges.
aren’t fairytales wonderful
Barry,<br>This is no fairy story I am afraid,<br>I know someone who works in one of Ladbrokes shops and one of Johns (a.k.a Jock) men had £5k on Venn Ottery to beat Tollbrae although there were a few other non hopers in the race.<br>Incedentally the betting shop Jock owns down on Brighton Marina is about one of the most luxurious betting shops you could find. Coffee used to be served in a cup and saucer and brought out on a tray. Strict no smoking policy applies also
I’m sure it goes on, and i hope those who benefit are brought to justice. I dont know any of the people involved. But in hindsight Venn Ottery should have been odds on against Tollbrae and good luck to anyone trying to prove that that race was fixed.
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Quote: from thedarkknight on 10:47 am on June 22, 2004[br]There is no doubt there has been fraud committed on a massive scale on a series of races over the last year or so.
Presumably we will get the usual chorus of people on here claiming it is just pockets talking and the game is straight. However, I would  challenge anyone to read the facts on page 3 of today’s Racing Post (which by no means goes into details of all dodgy incidents that have happend of late) and tell me Racing is in an acceptable state…<br>
Getting beaten over the wrong distance, (Tollbrae), or on the wrong going, (Red Lancer),  would hardly qualify as ‘fraud on a massive scale’; unless,of course,you were looking for skullduggery in the first place.<br> This kind of thing happens every day, in almost every race, and has done so for many years. The only reason it has such prominence now is that the exchanges make it transparent.<br> The downside is the ammunition the open opposition to such horses gives to the band wagon jumpers, not least the BHB and Ladbrokes. <br> Strange how this phenomenon never bothered them before they had to share the cake!<br> Racing is in the same state it has been in for years, whether that is acceptable or not depends your state of mind, (And possibly the state of your pocket?).
Agree with Reet Hard
Its difficult for any of us to be certain how widespread it is (i suspect less so than many imagine) and I doubt whether it will be fully stamped out, but even if it was the "one race a day" that (anti-racing and excahnges) spokesman claimed, then that would be 350 odd races a year..
Does anyone believe that?:o
How many races are currently under scrutiny? Not 350, tahts for sure. 3.5 more like
And even if was the figure was correct , then that is less than I would guess 3% of the total…
I suspect theres not "corruption on a massive scale", but there is certainly a nasty problem
In 2004, 8500 races will be run in the UK. 350 fixed races is just 0.4% of that number. Imho not only is the 350 a very believable figure, but it is undoubtedly an under-estimation. And I’m not talking through my pocket, rather fom talking to racing professionals and journalists<br>richard
Paul Scotney has gone a bit quiet !!
Richard<br> 8500 races next yr , irts pure speculation how many of them will be suspect , but it is getting harder , to be fair to the Jokers , they are trying hard , chances are at least 8000 races will be straight
I am very doubtfull about banded racing  ,and will make allowances for 500 races to be less than straightforward
<br>Ricky
40 years on-course experience, not many on here to match that.
Plenty of times I’ve suspected that one of my colleagues was playing with marked cards regarding certain stables.
But, times have proven they only thought they knew,
I get so called information every day, crooked information would be right every single time, it aint, thats why I laugh at it and take not a blind bit of notice.
The bookies I suspected,all finished up skint, Ha Ha good job.
I’m afraid you all get carried away with what you want to believe
right on Barry , as far as being a bookie goes , you have served your time,and know the game no contest !!
But lets talk about the game , you stand at Leafy , but not southwell or wolves , but if you had to take a guess , how many races do u think were a bit strange between November and the end of March ???
would be very interested to know , I will declare my hand , I attended all of those meetings same as you (cricket tour excepted )
cheers
Ricky
Ricky, agree perhaps half a dozen races at Lingfield looked a bit dodgy (even went storming round to stewards room demanding an enquiry on one occasion),
If you have attended regularly what pitch (no names) do you think definately played with crooked information,
I cant pick it
Barry , a great question , deserves a great answer  , but in truth i have not a clue
Most of them follow you anyway , although i am encouraged by bLUE SQUARE they are good as well
I was referring to exchange activity and races that were bent when it was obvious to all and sundry that certain horses were not trying an inch
Its a shame , but part of the game now is second guessing certain trainer / jockey combinations
Ricky
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Blue Square a welcome addition to the game, much needed,
There aint any on-course bookies, *** earning bundles at the game, even if they had crooked business they couldn,t earn out of it without showing themselves up
**** deleted a gerald ratner type comment
Ricky, think the last comment in your latest post is spot on. Me, I avoid betting in certain types of races at certain tracks because of trainer/ jock combinations, but mostly jock combinations, no matter what the form tells me.<br>Barry, <br>don’t think the suggestion is that on-course bookies are the instigators of crookery. Perhaps the more relevant point is that when organised fixing takes place, like reportedly this guy in Brighton or through Triad gangs or whomever, only the favoured few know what is happening. In that respect we all suffer, though if the target is to stop a short price, track backed favourite: by definition track bookies benefit, through no fault or action of their own.<br>richard
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Horses don’t always run on their merits, never have,never will, that is an aspect of racing that has been almost universally accepted, and anyone who doesn’t see that shouldn’t be in charge of a wallet anyway.<br> That is a totally different matter to ‘organised fixing’, ‘Triad gangs’, KF pulling a horse when he is 10l clear, and much of the other garbage that is attributed to racing by betting shop jockeys.<br> To properly fix a race, it would need the collusion of every trainer and jockey involved to, be certain of getting the right result. Then it would be necessary to get the money on without attracting attention to ‘the fix’. A few grand wouldn’t do, either, as we are talking about a dozen or so proffesionals risking there often lucrative livelyhoods, and a prison sentence to boot.<br> As Barry says, fairy stories, mostly invented by those who need to believe in fairies.
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