Former Victorian jockey Lewis German has been handed a ten-year disqualification from racing after his involvement in a substantial illegal betting scheme that profited more than $250,000 from laying bets against his own rides.
The Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) delivered its verdict on Tuesday afternoon, following revelations that professional punter Noah Brash had placed 89 lay bets, amounting to nearly $2.5 million, on 37 horses ridden by German over a four-month span from April 21 to August 31, 2022.
Of those bets, a staggering 87 were successful, resulting in a profit of $259,494 with horse racing bookmakers.
German faced multiple charges, with the most severe—Charge 4—accusing him of engaging in conduct prejudicial to the integrity and image of racing.
Racing Victoria stewards had initially sought a 15-year ban, stressing the gravity of the offence and the damage inflicted upon the sport’s reputation.
However, the tribunal concluded that a ten-year disqualification was an appropriate penalty to both address the severity of German’s conduct and serve as a stark deterrent to others.
The ruling underscores Racing Victoria’s ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of the sport, with German now banned from participating in any racing-related activities for the next decade.
Horse racing news
