Turf Club to pay up to five-figure sums for usable information

Confidential hotlines set up to receive information on doping and other issues

Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan: “Events in the past year have highlighted the importance of providing a facility for anyone who has information they wish to report in a confidential manner.” Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan: “Events in the past year have highlighted the importance of providing a facility for anyone who has information they wish to report in a confidential manner.” Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

The Turf Club is prepared to pay reward money “up to five figures” for information supplied on a hotline established to combat activity which affects racing’s integrity.

Freephone numbers – 1800-855846 in the Republic and 0800-0015114 in the North of Ireland – have been set up as the regulatory body stressed its zero tolerance policy in relation to doping, race-fixing, irregular betting and other issues.

Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said: "Events in the past year have highlighted the importance of providing a facility for anyone who has information they wish to report in a confidential manner."

Prosecutions

He said there would be rewards for information which led to successful prosecutions for serious offences.

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“It will depend on the quality of information obviously but a reward could stretch up to five figures for something serious that results in a conviction,” Egan said.

The Turf Club was criticised last year after the anabolic steroid controversy which resulted in the disqualification of trainer Philip Fenton from holding a licence for three years.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column