THE BIZARRE CASE OF DANIEL JACK SMITH

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 25, 2021

It is the bizarre case of Daniel Jack Smith.

Smith was disqualified for eight years after being found guilty of betting offences.

Many people will recognise Smith’s photo, but not the name. Smith plied his trade as a jockey in New South Wales and Queensland as Terry Treichel before relocating to the Northern Territory.

All good there, but here is where it gets bizarre.

The jockey continued to ride in the Northern Territory under the name Treichel, even after he had legally changed his name by deed poll to Daniel Jack Smith, under whose name registered betting accounts were opened.

After an investigation, Smith was charged by Northern Territory stewards with thirty charges related to betting and two charges related to making false declarations about his name.

After pleading guilty to all charges, Smith was suspended for eight years on the betting charges and to three years for false declarations with the penalties to be served concurrently.

"This is a unique set of circumstances not seen before in Australian Racing," the stewards' report read. "The covering of a change of identity and subsequent volume of betting whilst licensed as a jockey is unprecedented."

Smith's ban effectively started on December 18, 2020, the day his licence was originally suspended.