BHA to get new investigative role

The British Horseracing Authority is set to take a more active role in race-fixing investigations following a review of the Kieren Fallon trial.

A two-month trial at the Old Bailey, in which the former champion jockey was charged with conspiracy to defraud gamblers, collapsed last December.

That case was probed by City of London Police, who are now likely to act with the BHA and the Gambling Commission.

BHA boss Nic Coward said: "The review sets out a framework for us."

The review team was commissioned by the BHA soon after the judge in the Fallon trial instructed the jury to throw out the charges against the jockey and his five co-defendants.

Between them, they had been accused of plotting to throw races in an alleged £2.2 million conspiracy. The case was investigated by City of London Police.

The team was led by Dame Elizabeth Neville, former chief constable of Wiltshire Constabulary and a non-executive director of the Serious Fraud Office.

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Asked to undertake a review of racing's security operations and to consider any lessons to be learned from the Fallon case, Dame Elizabeth's team made 16 specific recommendations.

Among those were the need to speed up investigation processes, make access to mobile phone records compulsory when warranted, and proposals to develop the prevention and deterrence strategy.

With reference to the trial itself, the review also concluded the BHA, as regulator, had been right to refer allegations to police and subsequently assist in providing witness information when requested.

Dame Neville said: "An opportunity exists to forge a strong partnership with the newly established Gambling Commission, which will strengthen further the fight against corruption in horseracing."

But she said the BHA itself remained "a model for the investigation of corruption in sport".

Coward said: "Protecting the integrity of horse racing remains a big priority.

"There are important lessons to be learned about how the sport should deal with complex cases.

"I am pleased that the review has cleared up the very limited role the regulator had leading up to and during the City of London trial."

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