'One horse race a day is fixed'

AT LEAST one horse race a day is fixed in Britain, the boss of the country's biggest bookmaking firm claims today.

The allegation from Ladbrokes chief executive Chris Bell - one of the most influential figures in racing - comes weeks before the showpiece Epsom Derby.

Bell has given an interview to next week's edition of The Money Programme on BBC2 during which he alleges: 'I believe one race per day in British racing to be fixed.'

Ladbrokes is part of the Hilton hotels group. And the fact that Bell is also vice-chairman of the industry's most important body, the Association of British Bookmakers, makes his claim all the more dramatic.

The revelation will shock punters across the country and effectively means they are being ripped off every week. His claim comes after a series of allegations of race-fixing and corruption which have rocked the horse world.

A series of races are now under investigation after a year of scandal on Britain's race courses. There are suggestions that the same criminal gang, possibly based in Brighton, is firmly linked with at least three controversial cases, and that they have been actively involved in pressurising jockeys to ensure certain horses do not win.

Phone records seized in investigations will play a crucial role in establishing whether the rumours have any substance.

Some of the biggest stars of jockeying have been caught up in the claims of race-fixing which have plunged racing into one of the biggest crises in its history.

Betting on horse racing in Britain is worth £12bn every year with the total on all forms of gambling reaching £23bn. The Jockey Club said they would not be commenting until they had studied Bell's comments.