Burdett punishment looks harsh on past form and raises serious lay-bet concerns

Stephen Burdett, clearly a passionate supporter of racing, is the latest to fall foul of the BHA rules as a registered person, following hard on the heels of jockey Hayley Turner, who held her hands up to what amounted to recreational betting while still holding a jockeys’ licence.

She was banned for three months and Burdett’s legal team argued for a similar punishment below the recommended entry point while also raising replacing the ban with a fine.

That was the outcome of flamboyant owner-punter Harry Findlay’s similar case after he appealed against his initial disqualification in 2009, having laid his Gullible Gordon after backing him earlier.