By Sophie Brown

The Jockey Club believes horse racing remains in good shape - one year on from the BBC Panorama investigation which rocked the sport.

Racing has thrived despite the allegations

Twelve months ago, the documentary claimed to expose the corruption of racing, with allegations of race fixing and betting scams.

But the sport's regulatory body says racing is as popular, if not more so, with the general public.

"Interest in racing remains as strong as ever," Jockey Club director of public relations John Maxse told this website.

"The doomsday scenario that was predicted at the peak of the media scrum after the Panorama programme would not be recognised by someone looking at the growing interest in racing and increased attendances at racecourses."

Panorama made allegations of race fixing and doping by jockeys and criminals, and accused the Jockey Club of failing to police the sport properly.

It led to the government telling the Jockey Club to take action to boost public confidence in the sport.

An independent security review of the Jockey Club was set up and Maxse admitted the Panorama programme had helped bring that about.

The public continue to invest their money in gambling on the sport Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse

"The review wasn't caused solely by Panorama but it is fair to say that Panorama and the ensuing publicity was a catalyst for the review," he said.

And he adds: "The security review said that there was not the evidence to back up the allegations made in the programme."

During the past 12 months, an Integrity Review Committee, which first sat in 2000, reconvened following the lifting of reporting restrictions on the trials relating to the activities of alleged drugs baron Brian Wright and his associates.

It made several recommendations, including controversial restrictions on jockeys using mobile phones at racecourses.

The measures are being adopted to boost public confidence in racing and Maxse believes it is a question of upholding that trust rather than needing to rebuild it in the wake of the Panorama publicity.

"There is continued public interest in the sport," he said. "The fact that the public is continuing to invest their money in gambling on the sport is as a good a vote of confidence as the sport could have wished for."