BBC SPORT | Other Sports | Horse Racing | Jockey Club security chief resigns

Jockey Club security director Jeremy Phipps has resigned following the Panorama programme which alleged corruption in horse racing.

Phipps came under intense pressure after featuring in Sunday's BBC documentary.

He was captured in a covertly-taped conversation with his predecessor Roger Buffham.

It is the backbone that isn't terribly strong

What Phipps said about the Jockey Club

Phipps was seen telling Buffham, who left the Jockey Club in 2001, that the organisation was lacking in "backbone".

Senior steward Christopher Spence said in a statement on Wednesday evening: "I accepted Jeremy Phipps' resignation with great regret.

"In his short time with the Jockey Club, first as acting head of security and then as director of security, he has contributed a great deal."

In his resignation letter to Spence, Phipps claimed he had been made "the fall guy" for the Jockey Club's recent troubles.

Buffham turned whistle-blower on the show which attacked racing's regulators and claimed the sport was "institutionally corrupt."

In Sunday's programme, Phipps was seen telling Buffham that the Jockey Club's backbone "isn't terribly strong."

Former Jockey Club security director Roger Buffham
Buffham was a key figure in the programme

Phipps called members "ignorant" and attacked its licensing system.

He was then shown being confronted with a transcript of the meeting by reporter Andy Davies.

He initially denied making the comments but was then taken aside by colleague John Maxse, the club's Jockey Club's public relations director.

Phipps then returned to the camera to claim he made the comments to put Buffham at ease.

But Phipps has paid the price, and resigned from his post less than eight months after being appointed.

Spence praised his work, saying he had restored morale and confidence since taking over the running of the security department.

"I think it is a great pity that incidents relating to the filing of the Panorama programme have culminated in Jeremy's resignation," added Spence.


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