RACING NEWS:A MAN who threatened to kill a racehorse in a bid to stop it running after he forgot to place his syndicate's bet was given a suspended jail term yesterday.
Andrew Rodgerson (26), warned a racing manager not to run 2008 St Leger winner Conduit at Ascot after he forgot to place the accumulator bet.
He panicked when he realised that victory for Conduit in last July’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes would lead to the syndicate expecting winnings of €60,000, a court in Bolton heard.
Rodgerson, of Balderstone, near Rochdale, sent a series of text messages and emails to Peter Reynolds, the general manager for the Ballymacoll Stud Farm in Dunboyne, Co Meath, which owned Conduit.
Ten days before the race he texted Mr Reynolds: “Dear Peter, we would just like to warn you should Conduit run in the King George then the horse will be killed.”
Five days later he followed up with an email to the general manager, which read: “Dear Peter, I don’t believe you are taking the threat of death to Conduit very seriously.
“We want the horse removed from the King George this weekend. If you co-operate the horse will live.
“There are people living in and around Newmarket who are ready and willing. There will also be people around at Ascot on Saturday.”
Police were informed and Rodgerson was arrested at his home address just two days before the race.
He had pleaded guilty to threatening to commit damage at an earlier hearing after a charge of blackmail was dropped.
Sentencing him to 34 weeks in jail, suspended for two years, Judge Angela Nield said he had embarked on a “foolish escapade”.
She accepted his actions had no practical consequences, in that Conduit lined up for the King George and actually went on to claim victory.
But she said a message of deterrence had to go out.
Joseph Hart, defending, said Rodgerson worked at a travel agency and would place bets for a syndicate, some of whose members he knew, while others were more shadowy.
“The syndicate would tell him when and where to put money on and get the best odds,” he said.
“This was a clever series of bets and it required quite precise timing because the odds changed so rapidly. Rodgerson mistimed the Conduit bet though, when he had a busy day at work.
Hart said: “He forgot and did not put it on at the right time and with the right company, and he realised if Conduit won he would owe this syndicate more than £50,000.”
He was “utterly terrified” with the consequences of not paying the money back.
“These were powerful men, he thought these were shadowy men. He thought perhaps they would be people who would hurt him.
“So initially he lied to them that someone had taken the betting slip, but then the syndicate said they would find him.
“The panic continued and he committed this frankly unsophisticated and deeply stupid crime.”
Machinist to fabricate victory
SOUTHWELL IS the only course to beat the weather and the opening contest today looks a penalty kick for David Nicholls’ Machinist. Only five go to post for the Betdaq Claiming Stakes, yet on ratings the veteran sprinter has plenty in hand. He has not run since May, but that was a win at Thirsk in a handicap off a mark of 90 and he is now rated 93.
That is not too far off a career-high which is some achievement at the age of 10 and, despite giving nearly a stone away all round, Machinist should still have enough up his sleeve to notch a ninth victory.
Another sprinter getting on is Obe Gold, now in the care of Paul Howling, but he also is in great heart. A string of consistent efforts were rewarded with a victory in a Lingfield seller late last month. He remains at that level in the Betdaq.co.uk Selling Stakes and JP Guillambert has struck up a fantastic partnership with him.
Some trainers keep a select team back for this time of year and Marco Botti appears to have done just that. The Italian had plenty of options for Ambrogina, yet decided on a Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and it looks a wise call.
She may have a few pounds to find with some on official ratings, but she has been progressing and can prove better than a 61 rating.
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With little prospect of jumps action in the coming days, the British Horseracing Authority has added extra meetings for this week. Lingfield will stage a mixed card on Thursday, Southwell will hold a Flat meeting on Friday and a Flat meeting has been confirmed for Kempton on Saturday.
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