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Jockey Darren Egan charged with rules breach

Darren Egan has not ridden in Britain since October 2013
Darren Egan has not ridden in Britain since October 2013

Former apprentice jockey Darren Egan must attend a British Horseracing Authority corruption hearing after he was charged with breaches of the rules of racing.

Egan, who currently resides in the USA, has been charged alongside non-registered person Philip Langford.

The BHA said there are 30 races in which suspicious activity has been detected.

A date for the hearing will be announced in due course.

A BHA disciplinary panel must assess whether Egan conspired with Langford to commit corrupt or fraudulent practices during races between 17 June 2013 and 16 July 2013.

Amongst the charges levelled at Egan include whether he intentionally failed to ride Imperial Spirit at Chepstow on 12 July 2013 and Tregereth at Bath four days later on their merits.

The BHA will examine whether he "communicated directly or indirectly to one or more betting exchange account holders for material reward, gift, favour or benefit in kind".

Egan's charges are also linked with some rides of former jockey Laura Pike, who has not been charged by the BHA.

Many of Langford's charges mirror those of Egan's, in that he stands accused of obtaining inside information from the former jockey during the same time-frame.

The BHA will investigate whether he used the alleged inside information "to gain an unfair advantage on the betting exchanges and to place lay bets in the win and/or place markets on betting exchanges".

He must also answer charges whether he offered a reward to Egan for riding his horses "other than on their merits if the need to do so arose to secure his lay betting".

The BHA has not attempted to analyse each and all betting on the 30 races in question, but has instead studied the general skew of Langford's betting and the betting on his highest liabilities, as well as some other races where there are notable issues - such as the alleged running and riding offences.

Egan has not ridden in Britain since October 2013.

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