Australian jockey Lewis German has been handed a ten-year ban for his involvement in an illegal betting scheme.
The 25-year-old appeared before the Victoria Racing Tribunal in Australia on Tuesday where he received the lengthy suspension.
The tribunal heard that professional punter Noah Brash had placed £1.25 million in bets on German's mounts over a four-month period in 2022.
The scheme saw Brash make a profit of £127,000 from 89 lay bets, with 87 of them proving successful.
Australian jockey Lewis German has been handed a ten-year ban for his involvement in an illegal betting scheme
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Adrian Anderson, representing local stewards, said the case struck "at the heart of the image and integrity of the racing industry".
Despite the significant profits made by Brash, German was never found to have earned any money from the scheme himself.
The inquiry revealed that Brash had placed the bets over a four-month period in 2022.
Of the 89 lay bets placed on German's mounts, an astonishing 87 were successful.
Stewards initially suggested a 20-year ban would be appropriate for German's offences.
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Horse racing star Lewis German has apologised for his actions
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However, they ultimately pushed for a ten-year suspension, taking into account German's guilty plea and other mitigating factors.
The case was deemed particularly serious as it undermined public confidence in racing's integrity.
German admitted three of the charges against him but disputed the severity of the penalties.
"I feel that penalties that the stewards are pushing for are, in my opinion, ridiculous," he told the tribunal.
German claimed he had been manipulated by Brash.
"I have never profited from this whole scheme as they call it and none of the bets were actually mine," he said.
The jockey acknowledged his mistakes but maintained he never received payment.
"I believed there was going to be money. I was told that I would be paid at the start but I was probably gullible at the time," German admitted.
He also apologised to "the racing community and to everyone who trusted in me".
The tribunal also heard that German had failed to report a previous approach from a punter.
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This incident involved an offer of £2,500 not to ride a horse on its merits.
German was additionally found to have opened two betting accounts while being a jockey.
This is strictly prohibited under racing rules.
He was also charged with engaging in conduct prejudicial to the image of horse racing.
Horse racing star Lewis German won't be able to compete in the sport again until 2035
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Judge John Bowman, the tribunal chair, delivered the final verdict.
"We are of the view that the appropriate penalty for this offence is a disqualification for a period of 10 years," he stated.
Brash, the professional punter at the centre of the scheme, has also faced severe consequences.
He received a ten-year ban from all racecourses during a hearing in December.
