A newspaper claim that 50 jockeys, including some of racing's most famous names, were suspected of cheating has been dismissed by the Jockey Club. According to allegations made in the Express on Sunday, the sport is "in ruins" and beset by a high level of corruption.

But Jockey Club public relations officer John Maxse said: "The Ex- press on Sunday article claiming that British racing is `in ruins' is comprised solely of wild speculation and is clearly wrong.

"The piece does not contain a single shred of hard evidence to support its absurd allegations."

Meanwhile, former top jump jockey Declan Murphy has defended the Jockey Club's decision to suspend the licences of the three named jockeys arrested last week amid doping and race-fixing allegations. Murphy said it was impossible for those not involved in the investigation to know the full story.

"These jockeys have not been arrested I'm sure for what's been publicised, for drugs allegations - it's ludicrous to think they would have anything to do with anything like that," he told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I just feel it's a lot deeper. We don't know why they have been suspended. The important thing here is to realise that this is acting as a camouflage for something that the police and Jockey Club have been investigating."