KEY POINTS:
You don't want to be a jockey who's suspended at Trentham today. You're going to be a lot lighter in the pocket - or purse.
Chief stipendiary steward Cameron George says current suspensions for jockeys are not working as a deterrent to race interference and from today will be recommending to the Judicial Control Authority on racedays that fines be added to suspensions.
George is upset that eight jockeys were suspended over the three-day Ellerslie carnival - seven of them in group races.
"That's just not good enough," Cameron told the Weekend Herald yesterday.
"It appears there is a lot less care out on the track because of the increased prizemoney in group races."
George said he could understand that jockeys had to carry the extra burden of expectation from their mount's connections in big races, but that was not an excuse for riding carelessly.
"Sure, the connections of every horse want to win the big races, but the flip side is it's very expensive for the connections of a horse that's poleaxed.
"If 10 horses go out for a race, we expect 10 horses to have every chance to win without their chances being interfered with.
"There are a lot of issues here, paramount among them being the safety of riders and horses," George said.
"Another is the image of racing - look at who won't be riding at Trentham tomorrow."
Currently suspended are Leith Innes, Vinny Colgan, Lisa Cropp, Paul Taylor, Michael Walker, Samantha Spratt, Lynsey Satherley and Sean Collins.
"That's a bad look on a big raceday and a letdown for the connections of horses looking for the best riders in major races."
George said he could see no alternative to tougher penalties.
"Riders will get filthy on us, but there is a job to be done.
"The more we see that the current penalties are not working as a deterrent, those penalties are going only one way and that's up.
"And the fines are not in lieu of a suspension - it's added on top," he said.
When John "The Sheriff" Schreck was chief steward in Sydney he marched the jockeys into the inquiry room before the running of each Golden Slipper Stakes and advised them of their obligations in a race notorious for interference.
It was a mad dash for cash over 1200m for one of Australia's biggest prizes.
Exasperated that year after year his words seemed to mean nothing, Schreck ceased the practice and his successor, Ray Murrihy, follows that method.
"I agree with that, I don't believe in calling jockeys in before a big race," says George.
"Riders know what's expected of them."
