Veteran New Zealand jockey David Walker has been suspended from riding for seven years after being found guilty of race rigging charges. Walker, 38, was found guilty by the Judicial Control Authority last Thursday of not giving his own ride every chance to win a race in which he`d already bet on a rival.

A follow-up hearing of the JCA on Friday deemed Walker should be punished heavily after he admitted the charge of betting on a rival horse, St Ransom, but denied not riding his own horse, Watch Your Man, on its merits in a race at Awapuni on August 16.

As well as the ban, which will effectively end Walker`s career, he has been fined $NZ3000 ($A2800).

RIU general manager Mike Godber hopes the punishment will act as a deterrent to any other jockey considering a similar action.

“Mr Walker`s actions threatened the very fabric of New Zealand racing and the strong penalty applied by the JCA panel sends a signal that the industry holds the integrity of racing at the highest priority,” Godber said.

“The message is clear, serious breaches such as this case will have severe consequences for those involved.”

Godber says the case also underlined the effectiveness of the RIU`s system of surveillance of racing and betting and its investigation processes.

A judicial committee of Murray McKechnie and Noel McCutcheon on Thursday said Walker could have done more aboard Watch Your Man after a hearing at Trentham racecourse.

McKechnie said evidence suggested Walker failed to give his horse adequate opportunity to improve mid-race, and should have ridden more vigorously in the home straight.

Interestingly, last fortnight`s action on a couple of jockeys and trainers at Mysore is likely to snowball into a controversy. Pressed by those affected by the Mysore Race Club as also the criticism of the functioning of the Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association, these two bodies have enlisted the support of Jockeys Association of India and are sending a joint letter asking the Mysore Race Club to review its decision on trainer Lokanath, Pratap Kamath and jockey B Paswan. The letter also states that they may be constrained to resort to agitation.

The fact that such a letter is being sent by these professional bodies has come as a surprise especially when the trainers` body and KROA did not raise its voice when trainer Irfan Ghatala was suspended by Bangalore Turf Club for more than one year for a non racing offense. The trainers` body also did not protest when Gregory Sandhu was not restored his license for several years even after undergoing three years suspension. And moreover how can these bodies threaten the authority which has licensed them?

The letter by these bodies even before the Appeal Board of Mysore sat to hear the petition of trainer Lokanath and Paswan is seen as pressure tactics. It remains to be seen whether Mysore Race Club which recently became an independent turf authority will lose its authority in its first season itself and succumb to the dictates of the professionals who race under their rules of racing.

A functionary of Mysore Race Club was critical of Bangalore Turf Club for allowing its premises to be used for holding a meeting which was to put spokes on racing at an independent turf authority. ``Can BTC allow a trade union type of a meeting inside its premises that too against another independent turf club?`` questioned the functionary.