The Jockey Club today told trainers and jockeys that 'only those with something to hide' need fear new measures designed to stamp out corruption in British racing.
The Jockeys Association of Great Britain and National Trainers Federation have blasted the revised rules and codes of conduct aimed at licensed professionals - primarily trainers and jockeys - published today in the Jockey Club`s Integrity Review Report.
The Integrity Review Committee, chaired by senior steward Christopher Spence, announced plans to establish a Security and Investigations Committee to review and monitor the work of its security department.
It also announced a range of criteria designed to increase deterrents to malpractice in racing and so further strengthen public confidence in the integrity of the sport.
The measures aim to deter licensed persons passing on information that is not in the public domain for reward, to limit association between jockeys and trainers with bookmaking organisations and to set out codes of conduct on co-operation with investigations and reporting of malpractice and unusual financial transactions.
The new procedures will take effect from January 1st and are intended to complement the Jockey Club`s submission to the Gambling Review Group earlier this year which called for greater regulation of betting and changes to the criminal law.
JAGB executiive manager Michael Caulfield described his organisation as 'saddened and disappointed' by the rules, claiming them to be 'misconceived and unlawful', while the NTF promised 'strong opposition' to the changes.
And both organisations criticised the Jockey Club for the continued presence of Roger Buffham and Christopher Foster in the new security structure announced in the report following the recent well-publicised collapse of the race-fixing and doping trial.
However, Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse hopes to allay their fears.
He said today: 'Having consulted thoroughly with the jockeys and trainers with regards to the introduction of these proposals we were aware that they were concerned.
'In fact as a result of concerns expressed by them in some cases amendments and concessions were made.
'While I can understand the initial concern raised by jockeys and trainers I think they are misjudging the levels to which the Jockey Club will use these powers.
'We are talking about there being a serious breach of the rules and a threat to the integrity of racing for us to resort to asking for authorisation to look at records or to tackle someone about their non co-operation with an investigation.
'The vast majority of inquiries and investigations will carry on in the same manner, with the same level of willing co-operation which is nearly always the case in racing.
'I can understand the concerns when they see them on paper but what we are trying to say is that in practice they will find there will not be an abuse of these powers - we can only use these when there are reasonable grounds.
'As a result of these measures the only licensed people with anything to fear from these measures are those with something to hide.'
Maxse stressed that the Jockey Club had taken legal advice before making the rule changes.
'All the measures that are coming in have been subject to extensive legal advice and that takes into account the Jockey Club`s limited powers as well as the rights of individuals,' he said.
'Furthermore it is common for regulators to have reasonable powers over those who they regulate and that power can only be used in relation to the activities that they regulate.
'These measures haven`t been brought in lightly - they have been brought in after a great deal of consideration and extensive legal advice and they`ve been brought in with the aim of raising the integrity of British racing.'
The Security and Investigations Committee will be chaired by Jockey Club steward Gurney Sheppard, and be made up of former jockey Philip Blacker, Christopher Foster, the executive director of the Jockey Club, and an independent member, Francis Gilbert QC, a barrister, who specialises in criminal law.
Roger Buffham remains the Jockey Club`s head of security despite calls for his resignation following the collapse of the race-fixing trial which saw 16 people arrested, five put on trial and none convicted.
Commenting on the Security Department, Caulfield said: 'We still cannot believe that the head of security, Roger Buffham, retains his position and that Christopher Foster is part of a new security committee to whom he is answerable.'
While a statement from the NTF said: 'The Security and Investigations Committee, which did not form part of the proposals until the NTF and JAGB made their views known, is correct in principle but deeply flawed in implementation.
'Its independence and objectivity must be compromised by the presence of Christopher Foster.'
However Maxse confirmed that the Jockey Club was standing by both individuals.
He said: 'The stewards have confidence in the Security Department and the personnel connected with it.
'The introduction of the Security and Investigations Committee will make the Security Department more accountable.
'We recognise the need for industry confidence in the Security Department and I believe that the work of the Security and Investigations Committee will make it accountable to a degree which will restore that confidence.'
