Cliff Williams

In last week's column I commenced looking at the race-fixing phenomenon against the background of the announcement that the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) is about to convene a forum to discuss the issue.

Incidentally, the methodology or modus operandi of the perpetrators is exactly the same in all racing jurisdictions.

For those who may have missed it or may not be aware, I presented some facts on the methods used in terms of betting and the type of wagers favoured by the perpetrators; and the way the bookmakers limit exposure by collecting information from their agents in the field and then using the Caymanas tote to reduce liability.

I also posited the fact that in nearly all instances the attempts to arrange the results were in favour of well-fancied horses but the hugely staked bets made any return ranging from even money to 2-1 satisfactory.

As promised I will now be examining other aspects of this most corrupt of practices.

In attempting to arrange results to facilitate successful betting coups, there is at times a dangerous level of intimidation of riders and trainers with threats of violence.

pressure

Grooms also have to resist bribes and threat as they come under pressure to tamper with horses to ensure underperformance and doping is a problem here as well.

I have known instances where the more honest of our jockeys have given up mounts in those flawed races rather than aid the perpetration of corrupt practices.

There are riders both here and abroad who insist that in any such arrangement they would have to be on the winners as they have absolutely no intention of compromising their position or putting their licences in jeopardy as top riders.

It is very difficult for the regulatory bodies to deal with this scourge as too many of the professionals prefer to keep quiet rather than create enemies by reporting suspicious activity. In any event it is well-nigh impossible to produce persuasive evidence that it is taking place.

In Great Britain, the performance of the jockeys is monitored very closely and anything resembling a lack of effort has to be explained. In fact, operations stewards are well aware of what to expect in terms of the performance of horses and jockeys and anything other that that is likely to be questioned.

In this series I will continue to look at this corrupt practice and how bets are staked for maximum effect.