Jockey slapped with 10-year ban for involvement in $2.5m illegal betting ring
Lewis German sanctioned by the Victorian Racing Tribunal for purposely riding to lose on horses between April and August 2022
New Zealand-born jockey Lewis German has been handed a 10-year ban from horseracing for his involvement in an illegal betting scheme.
The sanction was handed out by the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) in a hearing on 18 March and reported first by Racing.com.
The tribunal heard that professional bettor Noah Brash placed 89 bets – wagering for a particular horse to lose – on 37 horses ridden by German between 21 April and 31 August 2022.
Brash’s wagers amounted to nearly A$2.5m, which led to an overall profit of A$259,494. Of the 89 bets placed, 87 were successful.
German, 25, pleaded guilty to four charges handed out by the VRT, including one of engaging in conduct that would discredit the integrity and image of horseracing.
One charge related to German failing to disclose that he had two betting accounts in his name on a licence application.
Another charge was for failing to report an approach from a punter, who offered German A$5,000 to ride a horse to lose in 2022.
German initially faced an additional charge for suppling information to Brash, but this was withdrawn as it was seen as an alternative to the charge for tarnishing hoseracing’s image.
Racing Victoria officials initially lobbied for a ban of 15 to 20 years, although the VRT concluded the 10-year sanction was enough to address the severity of German’s actions while serving as a suitable deterrent to other jockeys.
Adrian Anderson, representative for Racing Victoria stewards, told the tribunal that the charge for tainting horseracing’s image was the most severe of all.
He said: “This is precisely the sort of conduct that strikes at the heart of the image and integrity of the racing industry.
“In the circumstances, the stewards submit that a penalty for this charge would be appropriate of 20 years, but taking into account Mr German’s [guilty] plea and various other matters that exist in his favour, the minimum penalty for this charge would be 15 years.”
German apologised to the tribunal for his conduct while admitting that he didn’t profit from the scheme.
He said: “I am not here to tell a sad story. I am here to apologise to the racing community and to everyone who trusted in me. I feel like I let them down.
“I have not received any money. I believed there was going to be money. I was told that I would be paid at the start but I was probably gullible at the time.”
According to statistics from Racing.com, German has amassed 218 wins in his career, winning more than A$7.5m in prize money in the process.
Fellow jockey Michael Poy has also been charged for his involvement in the scandal. His VRT hearing has been set for 31 March.
Poy was part of a VRT tribunal hearing in June 2024, which heard he was sending text messages to Brash, communicating which of the horses he was riding should be bet on for certain races.