Star Australian jockey Tommy Berry has been banned for over a year after his mother received £8,500 from a punting butcher in return for winning tips.
Berry, described by his lawyer as a poster boy for the sport, vowed to clear his name after he was found guilty of six charges, including two of “accepting or agreeing to accept a consideration”, known colloquially as ‘a sling’, and conduct prejudicial to the image, interests and integrity of racing.
The 31-year-old was disqualified for a total 11 months and two weeks and received a four-week suspension for having a mobile phone in the jockeys’ changing room on around 70 occasions by a panel of New South Wales stewards.
Berry’s solicitor’s argued that Berry had not been in receipt of any consideration because the money was not paid to him.
But the stewards took the view that Berry would benefit as he owned the house his parents lived in and some of the money was being used for home improvements.
The investigation was opened in October last year and subsequently expanded when WhatsApp messages emerged between Berry and Miller which mentioned a horse that the jockey would go on to win on. It was one of two winners Berry rode, from which Miller was to earn more than £50,000 from betting on them.
Miller subsequently deposited a number of payments into Julie Berry's bank account, the details of which has been passed to Miller by Tommy Berry.
Miller, a butcher from Gold Coast in Queensland, was banned from the sport for 15 months.
Berry, who has ridden more than 1,500 winners including 37 at Group 1 level, has lodged an appeal and asked for a stay of his sentence to allow him to continue riding.
