bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The ICAC has urged the British Jockey Club to stop bail-jumping jockey John Egan from continuing riding in the UK.

But the British Jockey Club says it has no plans to do so.

The head of the ICAC's operations department, Tony Kwok Man-wai, has written to the British Jockey Club after discovering that Egan will be riding in tomorrow's Hong Kong Day, a racing event sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The event, to be held at Ascot, features the richest five-furlong handicap in Europe -  the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.

Egan, 34, has been riding in Britain since April, two months after he was arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly taking a bribe - reputed to be $20,000 - in return for racing tips.

He failed to answer bail on June 30 and Independent Commission Against Corruption investigators then obtained a warrant for his arrest.

Egan was then summoned to appear before a British Jockey Club Licensing Committee hearing in London to decide if he should be stripped of his right to ride in Britain.

But officials said it had been decided not to suspend Egan's licence for the time being because they did not have a good cause for such action and 'to do so could be an infringement of an individual's rights'.

But Mr Kwok said some action should be taken against Egan.

'We officially informed you that the Department of Justice has advised there is sufficient evidence to charge Egan with an offence of corruption in connection with his duties as a jockey in Hong Kong.

'Under such circumstances, it seems to us there are clear doubts of the integrity of this jockey. We are most surprise to learn that he is allowed to continuing riding in the UK.

'It does not enhance the reputation of racing in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world,' the letter read.

Mr Kwok added in the letter that Egan would have a fair trial should he return to the territory.

The ICAC said last night possible extradition proceedings were still being considered in the case of Egan.

The British Jockey Club confirmed it had received Mr Kwok's letter and was in the process of sending a reply explaining its position on the matter. It has also informed its Hong Kong counterpart of its position.

'There are currently no plans for the Jockey Club to review its position, although we continue to monitor the situation and can react should there be significant developments,' a spokesman for the racing body said last night.

But he said a jockey riding in the UK while facing a charge overseas in connection with racing was a cause for great concern.



Stop Egan riding in Britain, ICAC urges