Next stop is Fakenham for 'jump' jockey
As talk of corruption and betting stings gather pace in the run-up to the Cheltenham Festival, the eyes of the racing world will turn briefly on Friday to a minor track in Norfolk.
There Sean Fox, the man accused of deliberately jumping off his horse Ice Saint last week at Fontwell, will be riding the same mount at Fakenham races. Fox vehemently denies leaping off his mount on purpose and has appealed against his automatic 21-day riding ban for failing to "ride out" Ice Saint for the best place, allowing him to ride this week.
In the light of recent controversies, racing is mounting a huge, double-edged security operation ahead of tomorrow's Cheltenham Festival.
Police will be on high alert in the wake of the Madrid train bombings, while the sport's security staff have pledged to clamp down on corruption after a string of race-fixing allegations. There are also fears rogue Manchester United fans could still target the Festival despite the cancellation of a protest against John Magnier and JP McManus.
With 50,000 racegoers expected each day, Gloucestershire police today declared they would use all measures "deemed necessary" to ensure public safety.
A police spokesman said: "Security measures will be taken in conjunction with the racecourse. We will have a high number of officers there." Cheltenham managing director Edward Gillespie played down the risk of a terror threat, but insisted security will be tight. He said: "We are aware of our responsibilities."
The Jockey Club, racing's disciplinary body have a different kind of action plan; to raise confidence in a sport still reeling from the Sunday newspaper allegations involving jockey Kieren Fallon.
The Club's head of security Paul Scotney will be in daily contact with exchange firm Betfair, who have 26 staff checking their website for unusual betting patterns.
