A JOCKEY based in the region is one of four riders at the centre of a major inquiry into serious breaches of the rules of racing.

Greg Fairley is among four jockeys, a trainer, two owners and six others charged by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) with breaking racing rules.

The allegations centre on suspicious betting patterns with horses being backed to lose in ten races that took place between January 17 and August 15, 2009.

The BHA investigated four races involving Mr Fairley, including one at Catterick, North Yorkshire, on August 14.

Mr Fairley, from Caldbergh, near Middleham, North Yorkshire, regularly rides for leading trainer Mark Johnston, but there is no suggestion the trainer or any of his horses, are involved in the alleged wrongdoing.

Those charged by the BHA include jockeys Paul Doe, Kirsty Milczarek and Jimmy Quinn, trainer Paul Fitzsimons and registered owners Maurice Sines and James Crickmore.

The other individuals are Peter Gold, Nick Gold, Shaun Harris, David Kendrick, Darren May and Liam Vasey.

All the jockeys are alleged to have passed on inside information about their mounts to individuals who profited from that information on betting exchanges and bookmakers.

They also face charges that they intentionally failed to allow their mounts to run on their merits.

An independent disciplinary hearing has been set for October 20 and is scheduled to last ten days.

The jockeys could be banned for between five and 25 years if found guilty.

BHA acting chief executive Chris Brand said: “Protecting the integrity of racing is a key priority for the authority.

“The charges issued by the authority are the result of a lengthy, detailed and complex investigation, following suspicious betting activity on more than one betting exchange and with traditional bookmakers.”

A Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) statement said: “The PJA has now recommended that the jockeys in question seek legal representation.”

Deirdre Johnson, a director of Mark Johnston Racing, declined to comment other than to confirm that the firm regularly used Mr Fairley, although he was not tied to the yard, and that none of the horses involved in the inquiry were owned or trained by the company.

The Northern Echo was yesterday unable to contact Mr Fairley or his agent and mother, Kate Fairley.

According to social networking site Twitter, Mr Quinn’s solicitor said his client was adamant that he had done nothing wrong, while Miss Milczarek was said to be “stunned by this development”

and denies the charges.