Does Betfair help cheats prosper?
Betfair isn’t universally loved. There have been criticisms that it is now easier for jockeys, owners and stable staff – who are not allowed to lay their own horses – to pass information and fix races. But unlike traditional bookmakers, Betfair will divulge information about clients’ transactions to the horse racing authorities. More than a dozen jockeys in Britain have been banned for passing information, and their bans directly related to Betfair’s audit trail. One of those jockeys was Gary Carter, pictured, who rode Dodona at Lingfield Park in August 2003. Dodona had plenty of ability, although she had won only two of her 33 races, and was entitled to be favourite for the race. I was at the track and backed Dodona, via telephone, on Betfair. The price went bigger, so I backed her again. When a price goes out, even on a favourite, it is not always a cause for concern. I figured that some people were looking at Dodona’s poor win record, and that was the reason for the drift. During th
