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Jockey Club Ban Owner for Betfair Wager

Joss Naylor’s owner, Darren Mercer, banned for six month after laying his own horse to lose

Friday 9th July 2004



A Jockey Club disciplinary panel has banned Joss Naylor’s owner, Darren Mercer, for six months after finding him guilty of betting on his own horse to lose through his Betfair account. Mercer left Jockey Club headquarters in London fuming yesterday, vowing that he would appeal against the decision.

'I am just too angry to comment,' said Mercer. 'I can't believe that I am sat here like this.” He told the Daily Mirror. 'I want to say a lot of things about what has happened but I need to sit down and consider the situation before I say anything more.'

Mercer said he had only backed the horse to lose the Coral Welsh National, only to cover a large bet he had already placed on the horse to win. He won £410 on betting exchange Betfair when the horse was withdrawn from the race. He claimed that when he placed the bet he had no idea that the horse would be withdrawn from the race.

Jockey Club Public Relations Director John Maxse said: 'The panel took into account that Mercer had backed the horse to win the Welsh National ante-post and that he stood to win a substantial amount if the horse ran and won. This case demonstrates again that irregular betting patterns on exchanges can be followed up and if those responsible for laying the bets are in anyway connected to the horses in question, disciplinary proceedings will follow.'




Source: OnlineCasinoNews