Ex-jockey banned from racing for 14 months as investigation reveals he placed 64 bets over three years

SportHorse Racing EX-JOCKEY Paddy Pilley has been disqualified from racing for 14 months after placing 64 BETS in a three-year period. Pilley, who quit the saddle in October 2020, placed 10 of those bets while still a licensed jockey. Pilley, pictured in 2016, has been disqualified for placing 64 bets during a three-year period Credit: Alamy He entered into a plea agreement with the BHA after admitting breaching rule J5, that no jockey or valet shall place a bet, and rule J6, which states no trainer or stable employee shall place a lay bet on a horse under their care. Pilley, 29, also admitted breaching rule J19 in engaging in conduct which is prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing in Britain. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! The BHA began an investigation into Pilley in September 2023 after they were alerted by Betfair that a number of large lay bets were being placed on John Butler-trained horses. Pilley was working for Butler in Newmarket at the time, and between September and November 2023 he placed 42 lay bets on the yard’s runners, while phone records revealed he made 100 phone calls to staff at the yard during that window. The subsequent investigation revealed he had placed 10 bets between 15 August and 3 October 2020, while he still held a jockey’s licence. He was employed as a member of stable staff by trainers Tom Dascombe, Charlie Appleby and Darryll Holland between March 2019 and December 2021, and during that period he was found to have placed 12 lay bets on runners at those yards. Pilley is still working in the racing industry, and that employment will now cease with immediate effect. Barrister Catherine Daly, representing the BHA, said there had been a 12-month delay in concluding the case as Pilley had “not been forthcoming” during an initial interview in 2024, leading to additional investigations. Most read in Horse Racing However, she said he had “matured” during the intervening period and had been co-operative with the BHA investigation more recently. Daly said the 14 month disqualification “accordingly reflects the seriousness of these breaches”. Pilley rode 54 winners from 704 rides during his career between 2013 and 2018 before making a brief comeback in 2020. Comment now