Former jockey Michael Poy handed 13-year disqualification for race fixing

Former jockey Michael Poy, who advised a professional punter to back his mounts to lose and rode them accordingly, has been disqualified for 13 years and six months for race fixing.

Michael Poy has been disqualified in relation to betting scandal. Picture: Brett Holburt / Racing Photos

Former jockey Michael Poy has been disqualified for 13 years and six months for essentially rigging races”.

Poy, 25, who pleaded guilty, learned his fate on Thursday before the Victorian Racing Tribunal.

Judge John Bowman declared Poy the “key player in the whole scheme”

Poy advised a professional punter Noah Brash, since warned off for 10 years, to back his mounts to lose and rode them accordingly.

Ex-jockey Lewis German received a 10-year disqualification for his involvement in the betting scheme.

Brash turned over $1.5m in lay bets.

'DELIBERATE, ELABORATE SCHEME': Stewards call for 20-year ban

Stewards call for a 20-year ban for jockey Michael Poy for his part in a betting scheme involving himself, fellow rider Lewis German and a professional punter. Story: @BradWWaters 👇https://t.co/qhRndIvFDp

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) March 31, 2025

The VRT heard the “paper profit” on Poy’s losing rides was $104,400 from 46 rides.

Poy has alleged he never received any payment for the rides, however, counsel acting for Racing Victoria stewards last Monday produced evidence of bank transfers from Brash to the jockey.

“Difficult to accept you were only advising Brash what horses to back and get beaten,” Judge Bowman said. “46 times out 46 rides you were right.

“We say paper profit in relation to your case because in essence you’re saying you received no money from him (Brash).

“You say you advised Mr Brash what horses to back and get beaten but the bets... were his and not yours.

“We find this difficult to accept, your messages to Mr Brash not only name the horses to back but also the amount of such bet, whether or not you received in return the correct amount of money may be another matter.”

Judge Bowman said the unanimous decision on penalty had taken into account Poy’s guilty plea, remorse and mental health. An independent report concluded Poy had “significant psychological and cognitive impairments” which require intervention. Judge Bowman accepted an opinion the “underlying psychological vulnerabilities” made Poy susceptible to such wrongdoing.

'I APOLOGISE TO THE RACNG COMMUNITY, I LET THEM DOWN'

Former jockey Lewis German has received a 10-year disqualification for riding horses to lose in a 2022 betting scandal. Story: @gilbertgardiner👇https://t.co/rBILe4krSN

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) March 18, 2025

“The fact remains you wilfully engaged in behaviours that strike at the heart of the racing industry,” Judge Bowman said.

“It’s integrity, both real and perceived, conduct such as yours has the capacity to inflict great damage on the image of racing and public perception... and risks creating in the minds of some people that ‘the game is rigged’.

“This is a possible perception stewards as well as your former jockey colleagues fight hard to combat and destroy.”

He described Poy, son of Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michael Clarke, as the “link man” to Brash.

“You passed onto him (Brash) proposed bets, you passed onto him the names of horses to back including horses that were not permitted to run on their merits,” Judge Bowman said.

“You were the key player in the whole scheme of effectively rigging races.”

Poy received additional suspensions, from six to 24 months, to be served concurrently with the principal charge, for related detrimental conduct matters including failure to declare three betting accounts.

Originally published as Former jockey Michael Poy handed 13-year disqualification for race fixing