Under-fire jockey offers to take lie detector test
Australia: Jockey DannyNikolic on Tuesday offered to take a lie detector test during a Betfair-related inquiry in Melbourne that threatens to end the 35-year-old's career as one of Australia's leading riders.
On the second day of the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) hearing, Nikolic denied passing information about nine of his mounts in telephone calls to Neville Clements, a professional gambler and commission agent, who laid substantial bets on them to lose.
Nikolic, a winner of 36 Group 1 races, said his conversations with Clements only related to form, ratings, and the likely pace in races.
Nikolic also denied talking to Clements about Baby Boom before the mare, trained by the jockey's brother, was the beaten favourite in a Sunshire Coast maiden on January 3.
"One hundred per cent. I did not talk to him about that horse," said Nikolic who, according to the Herald Sun newspaper, said he was willing to submit himself to a lie detector to prove it.
Baby Boom was not ridden by Nikolic, but is considered relevant to the case by RADB because Clements won AUS$56,000 laying her on Betfair.
Earlier the board was told the nine Clements lay bets on horses partnered by Nikolic had an average risk of AUS$15,074, much more than was risked on other jockeys' mount.
Betfair integrity risk manager, Matthew Clark, said the amount of money Clements laid on Nikolic's mounts compared with other riders flagged interest in his account and that Racing Victoria Limited stewards were alerted by several emails.
"This is what we would term a bias due to activity and the size of risk taken," said Clark.
Nikolic's lawyer, Richard Smith, said Clements lost on five of the nine horses, four of which won and one he laid for a place finished second.
On Monday, Nikolic pleaded not guilty to two charges of improper practice, and two counts of conduct prejudicial to the interest of racing.
Final submissions are made to the board on Wednesday and a verdict is expected on Tuesday,June 29.
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