Jockey Club urge caution over Brighton gamble

The Jockey Club refused to be drawn today on the issue of whether the rules relating to jockey declarations will be changed in the light of yesterday's controversial gamble at Brighton.

Hanton, trained in Newmarket by Mark Wallace, landed a gamble from 5-1 to 7-4 in the seller after Kieren Fallon replaced an inexperienced 7lb claimer who was stuck in traffic.

The stewards referred the matter to Portman Square in the light of eye-catching betting patterns, but PR director John Maxse argued that it would be "dangerous to run away with conspiracy theories."

He added: "This matter obviously warrants further investigation. However, those who argue that you can only exchange an apprentice for another apprentice in places like Dubai and Hong Kong are ignoring the fact that, unlike here, they have a set pool of riders on site which makes it far easier to find a replacement."

Channel 4 betting pundit John McCririck argued that communications must be improved considerably in order to protect punters.