Paddy Piley

Former apprentice jockey Paddy Pilley has been banned from racing for 14 months after pleading guilty to placing bets while holding a licence and laying horses he cared for.

Pilley rode 54 winners from 704 rides between 2013 and 2020 and hit the headlines before the 2017 Derby when getting the leg up to ride 1,000-1 outsider Diore Lia before she was made a non-runner.

The rider was charged with the breach of rules J5, J6 and J19 on May 19 this year. Rule J5 prohibits a jockey (unless an amateur and not riding in the race) to bet, rule J6 prohibits stable staff from laying a horse in their care, and J19 refers to a person acting prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of racing.

An independent disciplinary panel gathered on Tuesday morning and subsequently accepted a plea agreement, with the details of the case outlined by BHA regulatory counsel Catherine Daly.

Pilley placed ten bets while he was a licensed jockey between August 15 and October 2 in 2020 and placed 12 lay bets when on the stable employee register of trainers Tom Dascombe, Charlie Appleby and Darryll Holland.

Between September 18 and November 24 in 2023, he also placed 42 lay bets on horses trained by John Butler. While he worked for the trainer at the time, he was not on the stable employee register, with the trainer failing to enrol him.

In September 2023, the BHA began investigating unusual betting activity after being notified by Betfair of a significant bias regarding Butler runners.

During the BHA's first interviews, Pilley was not initially forthcoming and made attempts to mislead, prompting further investigation. Phone records revealed he had made 100 calls with staff at Butler's yard, and he subsequently informed the BHA that he did not want to involve other staff in the matter at the time.

Pilley stopped riding citing weight issues at the time of breaching rule J5, having believed it was his trainer's responsibility to inform the BHA and relinquish his licence, not his own.

He has been served three 14-month disqualifications which will be served concurrently, meaning he will need to cease working in racing with immediate effect. He must persuade the BHA he is a fit and proper person in order to return to the racing industry.

Butler boys know when to pink it