Mernagh, Culhane facing HRA charges
Tony Culhane and Dean Mernagh are confident they will be cleared of all charges after the Horseracing Regulatory Authority confirmed they will face a disciplinary inquiry.
The riders have been charged along with two unlicensed individuals, Gary Lyons and David Watkins, following an investigation by the security department of the HRA.
Culhane and Mernagh have been charged in relation to 37 races that took place between July 2003 and April 2004.
The pair are accused of “communicating to Lyons for material reward, gift, favour or benefit in kind information that was not publicly available or provided for in Appendix N to the Rules”.
The HRA also charged the pair with “aiding or abetting the commission of a corrupt and/or fraudulent practice, by Gary Lyons and/or David Watkins, by communicating inside information relating to the horse’s prospects”.
Culhane and Mernagh are also accused of “endeavouring by an overt act to mislead one or more officials or alternatively, (breaching) rule 220(vii)(b) by providing inaccurate information.”
Phil Williams, of Eversheds solicitors, is representing both riders and he issued a statement on their behalf.
It read: “Both Tony Culhane and Dean Mernagh have done nothing wrong and remain confident that they will successfully defend the charges brought by the HRA.
“They have both fully co-operated with the HRA investigators. They volunteered phone records and attended interviews etc and have absolutely nothing to hide.
“They are confident that these charges will not stand up to scrutiny. The investigation must be put into context. Neither jockey has been charged with any riding offence under rule 157/158 – “where in the opinion of the stewards a rider has failed to ensure his horses has run on its merits”.
“Once again this case highlights an important concern about the man hours that have gone into this investigation which has taken over two and a half years at a vast cost to the industry.
“Both Tony and Dean do not have the luxury and will not be afforded the equality of arms of those bringing the charges and the industry as a whole must address this issue as a matter of urgency.”
The disciplinary panel will be asked to consider whether Lyons, who is also Culhane’s brother-in-law, is liable to exclusion in relation to a number of rules.
Among the possible breaches, the panel will consider if he “committed a corrupt or fraudulent practice” and if he misled officials or provided inaccurate information.
Watkins, Culhane’s father-in-law, is accused of backing or laying horses “with the benefit of illicit advantage over other gamblers in the form of information about the horse’s prospects” among other charges.
The panel will also consider if he “unreasonably failed or refused to cooperate with inquiries made by investigators in relation to his role in and knowledge of the betting on the races using his Betfair and Betdaq accounts.”
A date for the substantive hearing will be set in due course but the HRA have confirmed it is unlikely to be before April 2007.
