HONG KONG (AFP) — Disgraced Australian jockey Chris Munce has hit out at a Hong Kong ruling over the notorious 'tips for bets' scandal which extends his worldwide ban until next September, a report said Tuesday.
Munce, 39, who was jailed in March last year over the affair and released in October, said he was "shocked" at the ruling, which puts his comeback on hold until next September.
"I am shocked and dismayed by the decision," he said, according to the South China Morning Post.
"I have at all times cooperated with stewards, in stark contrast to others who have fled Hong Kong and resumed riding in other parts of the world.
"I acknowledge my breach of Hong Kong racing rules but I have more than paid the price," he added.
On Monday, the 1998 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey was handed a 30-month ban by Hong Kong stewards dating from March 2007, when he pleaded guilty to 36 charges.
Munce had given confidential tips in return for having bets placed on his behalf by a businessman, in a case that attracted attention in racing circles worldwide.
He was arrested in July 2006 with 250,000 Hong Kong dollars (32,000 US) stuffed in his jeans pockets along with a piece of paper listing bets on races he had tipped.
Munce was transferred to Sydney's Silverwater Prison in September 2007 and has been riding trackwork and trials there since his release.
The ban will prevent Munce from racing or stepping foot in any racecourse across the world until next September, the report said.
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