Tipster Warning

[Mighty Magyar]

Story Murphy urges punters to ignore claims of tipster O’Donnell FERDY MURPHY on Thursdayurged punters to ignore the claims of tipster Sam O’Donnell, who is falsely boasting he obtains inside information from a string of leading trainers and jockeys. The Middleham trainer spoke out after learning his name features in O’Donnell’s mailshotwhich is designed to cash in on the gambling frenzy surrounding the Cheltenham Festival. Murphy’s warning has been echoed by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority which has no record of O’Donnell, who claims to work in racing. In the flyer - described as “defamatory†by a solicitor who has seen it - O’Donnell, who writes of an outstanding strike-rate at the festival, says his information is provided by many of the jumping world’s leading personalities, whom he openly lists. Those tempted to pay £99 for his service to the end of June, or £149 for 2007, are asked to send the money to what is thought to be an accommodation address in Swindon after which O’Donnell promises to provide subscribers with a contact telephone number Murphy said: “The whole thing is a load of codswallop. I have never heard of Sam O’Donnell, I have certainly never had any money off him, and I have never spoken to him. “Having had Paddy’s Return’s owner Paddy O’Donnell in my yard, I would remember anyone named O’Donnell if introduced to them, but I have never heard of Sam O’Donnell. “It is a pure con, just to suck the punters in with Cheltenham coming up, and I am sure the Swindon office will be gone a couple of days after the meeting is over. “My advice to punters is to throw the brochure in the bin. He is certainly not getting information out of my stable, and of the other people I know have been named, he isn’t getting any information from them either.†HRA spokesman, Paul Struthers, said: “Itseems to be a typical tipping letter than makes false claims about the person’s background and what they do, and we would advise people to steer well clear.†Just in case anyone was tempted by a mailshot