Is 10 years long enough for Eddie Ahern?

With the news that Jockey Eddie Ahern has been banned for 10 years after being found guilty of breaching three British Horse Racing Authority rules. I am asking myself that if there is no shadow of doubt over his guilt is 10 years long enough.

As two of the horses in question carried my money it is hard to take a sympathetic view and I feel that if you bring the sport that provides your livelihood in to disrepute with a contemptuous disregard to the consequences being warned off for life is a more fitting punishment!

Ahern was found guilty of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice, intentionally failing to ensure a horse was ridden on its merits and of passing information for reward. Former footballer turned owner Neil Clement was banned for 15 years.

Eddie Ahern intends to appeal against the BHA's findings In a statement, the 35-year-old's solicitor said: "Eddie Ahern is absolutely devastated by the BHA panel's findings. He did not breach the rules of racing as found by the panel or at all and he will be appealing both the findings as well as the very harsh penalties imposed on him."

Ex-Footballer Neil Clement was also found guilty of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice, placing a lay bet on a horse which he then owned and failure to provide phone records to the inquiry. He was also fined £3,000 for the offences.

Ahern was charged with conspiring to commit a corrupt practice relating to the 'laying' of five horses between September 2010 and February 2011. He was also found guilty of preventing his ride Judgethemoment from obtaining the best possible position at Lingfield in 2011.

Clement was found guilty of breaching rules relating to the five Ahern races, with the jockey believed to have passed on information for the ex-footballer to use for lay betting. The former Baggies defender was also found guilty of the laying of Hindu Kush, which he then owned, when the horse finished last out of six runners at Kempton in February 2011.

Adam Brickell, the BHA's director of integrity, legal and risk, said: "The clear message from this, and other cases heard in the last 18 months, should be that the BHA is better equipped than ever at pinpointing and prosecuting malpractice. This investigation was another landmark in terms of our intelligence and evidence gathering capabilities as it was the first occasion on which we have received assistance from a spread betting company to bring a successful prosecution."

Former registered owner Michael Turl, who admitted conspiring with Clement and/or others to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice, was disqualified in April for two years and fined £10,000  in connection with the laying of Stoneacre Gareth in March 2011.

James Clutterbuck, son of and assistant to Newmarket trainer Ken Clutterbuck, was handed a 30-month disqualification in April  after also admitting to conspiring with Clement.

Unlicensed individuals Martin Raymond and Paul Hill were charged in relation to the Stoneacre Gareth race but were cleared of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice.