1978 – The rigged “Bride Abattue” tiercé – Monsieur X

In 1978, Paris and other French cities were rocked by a massive fraud scandal involving the Sunday tiercé horse-racing bet. The case, known as “Bride Abattue”, concerned a sophisticated manipulation of race results.

The jockeys on the favourites had held back their horses, letting the outsiders win the race. Behind this manipulation, Patrice des Moutis, nicknamed “Monsieur X”, had devised a complex mathematical combination. This method made it possible to bet on every possible combination, excluding the horses being held back. Massive bets on horses supposedly with no chance were spotted by the PMU (French tote) in Paris, Marseille, Toulon and Bastia, arousing suspicion.

Philippe Vouland was chosen to defend a front-man punter involved in the case, on the recommendation of a seasoned lawyer who was unable to travel. With a clear strategy, Philippe Vouland showed that his client was not at the heart of the conspiracy.

The front-man punter escaped prison, unlike many of the jockeys and punters involved in the scandal.

Read an article on this case (in French):