Culhane hit with year ban for bets

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Culhane, who has been out of action since a fall at Wolverhampton in April, was found to have aided or abetted former jump jockey Gary Lyons, his brother-in-law, and his father-in-law, Dave Watkins, to lay or back horses with the benefit of inside information.

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Banned: Culhane arrives at the HRA

Having admitted the charges, the shocked jockeys had been hoping for more lenient penalties.

Lyons, who was warned off for two years, was identified as the link man between the riders and Watkins, who won £56,000 on his betting exchange accounts while risking a loss of £311,000 on the races between July 2003 and February 2004.

All but five of his bets on the races were successful.

Of the pieces of information passed on in the 33 races involving Culhane, 26 were connected to his own mounts, six to Mernagh's and one to that of fellow jockey Joe Fanning, who was not involved in the inquiry.

Watkins, who was disqualified for five years, won £26,000 on the mounts of Mernagh, who was paid £200 for each successful bet.

Neither Culhane nor Mernagh would comment as they left the HRA Shaftesbury Avenue headquarters.

But solicitor Phil Williams, of Eversheds, said: "They are both disappointed with the panel's decision.

"In particular, Tony Culhane has pleaded guilty to being reckless in conversations with family members for which it was accepted Tony Culhane had no financial, or other, reward.

"There was never any allegation of failing to ride (horses) on their merits. They may appeal."

The inquiry is the first time that the tentacles of the security department have reached the Press Room, where Lyons had worked as a race reader for the Press Association.

Having been suspended on full pay, his disqualification from the sport and his work for former boss, trainer Reg Hollinshead, will come to an end.

The insurance payments that injured Culhane has been receiving under the professional riders' insurance scheme also seem likely to end.

However, both jockeys may still work in stables.