Claims of multi-million pound race fixing scandal to be investigated

The British Horseracing Authority is to investigate allegations the jockeys have pocketed £5,000 a time from criminal gangs who bet on their horses not to win.

The probe would be the biggest since former champion jockey Kieren Fallon went on trial with two fellow riders in 2007 for race fixing. All three were cleared after the case against them collapsed.

Fallon received a 10-day ban last Wednesday after he was found guilty of 'not riding out to the winning line', meaning he was caught for second place by another rider at Kempton racecourse.

The latest scam is understood to centre on small flat race meetings around the country.

Sir Peter Bottomley MP, a member of the Parliamentary All-Party Racing and Bloodstock Group, last night called for a full police investigation into the claims, saying horse racing had to be seen to be above question.

"Race fixing is a crime and any allegation must be investigated as such by both the horse racing authorities and the police, for the sake of the jockeys, the trainers, the punters and above all the hundreds of thousands of people who make their living through racing," he said.

"Dishonesty in horse racing is fortunately rare and it must be kept that way."

The five jockeys were last night said to be linked to at least two criminals based outside London. If found guilty the jockeys would face bans of up to 20 years.

A spokesman for the British Horseracing Authority said: "It would be inappropriate to comment on individual investigations."