Racing Victoria stewards are seeking a 20-year disqualification for former jockey Michael Poy, who has pleaded guilty to eight charges related to illegal betting over a period in 2022.
The Victorian Racing Tribunal will announce its decision on Thursday morning after Chairman Judge John Bowman acknowledged the complexity of the case and the potential impact of the penalties.
Poy, 25, initially faced 19 charges, but after pleading guilty, this was reduced to eight. His hearing followed that of his fellow jockey, Lewis German, who received a 10-year disqualification for his involvement in the same betting scheme. Professional punter Noah Brash, who placed lay bets on horses ridden by Poy and German, was also banned for 10 years.
Adrian Anderson, representing the stewards, argued that Poy’s actions were more serious than German’s, describing the coordination of bets against both his and German’s mounts as “the single most destructive thing to the integrity of racing.”
Anderson detailed how Poy used secret phones and coded messaging to conceal his actions. The scheme, which involved 46 successful bets amounting to over $1.5 million, was uncovered after Brash’s careless mistake.
Poy’s lawyer, Tim McHenry, acknowledged the severity of the case and asked for a disqualification period of five to seven years.
