Racegoing may be reeling from allegations of race-fixing and treachery but it has not put off punters at Catterick, North Yorkshire, as chief sports writer Scott Wilson discovers.

THEY'RE a hardy bunch these horseracing fans. If you can survive a storm of hailstones to reach the bookmaker's board, you can certainly laugh off suggestions that racing is rotten to the core.

Champion jockey Kieren Fallon might be facing a prolonged spell away from the racecourse following the infamous defeat on board Ballinger Ridge that sparked suggestions he had never intended riding the horse to victory.

But there were still plenty of people willing to turn out on a freezing afternoon yesterday to support Catterick's final National Hunt meeting of the season.

Seasoned punter Pete Harrison was in a stoical mood.

"I've backed that horse for eight races in a row and it hasn't won yet," he moaned, as short-priced favourite Bergamo came an all-too-familiar second in the opener. "And they talk about people needing to fix races so we can lose our money!"

While nobody wants to back a horse certain to lose, most argued that a certain amount of skullduggery added to the romance of the sport of kings.

"There have always been scams and fiddles in racing," said Martin Harvey, of Thirsk.

"That's part of the appeal for me because you always want to know what other people are on and why.

"It's just scrutinised and pored over so much more now. Every race in shown on television somewhere and people seem to be making a living from picking up on any little thing."

Leading North-Eastern bookmaker Johnny Ridley agreed, but the Shotton-based bookie sounded a note of caution about the allegations currently being made against Fallon and fellow jockey Sean Fox.

"If Kieren has deliberately lost that race then it's the most brilliant piece of riding I've ever seen," said Mr Ridley.

"But, as a bookmaker, it is a concern. My bank manager came up to me the other day and said 'What's going on in your sport', and he doesn't know one end of a horse from the other."

As for me, well I had two bets and I think one of the horses I backed is still running now.

I did find some evidence of irregularities though. The bloke in front of me in the queue for the chip van clearly knew the woman serving and got a far bigger portion than I did.

I wonder if I should inform the Jockey Club about that?