Racing: Whips are out in Oz debacle

Three-time Melbourne Cup winner Glen Boss says jockeys rejected the rule from the get-go. Photo / Getty Images

Racing will go ahead around Australia this weekend as scheduled but jockeys have not ruled out further industrial action over the controversial whip rules.

Jockeys walked off the job at race meetings in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia on Thursday after hearing their submission for changes to the rule had been rejected by the Australian Racing Board (ARB) and the major features at Rosehill and Moonee Valley today were under threat.

However, after a telephone conference between state representatives of the Australian Jockeys' Association (AJA) on Thursday night, jockeys resolved to ride over the weekend and meet again on Monday.

"Although bitterly disappointed and frustrated at the ARB's decision today, in a show of good faith to our fellow stakeholders the AJA has determined that racing will continue up to and including Monday," the AJA said.

"State representatives of the AJA will take to their respective organisations a recommendation that unless the matter is resolved by Monday, at this stage jockeys will not ride in races thereafter."

Representatives from all facets of the industry put forward a submission to have the rule amended to allow jockeys to use their discretion over how many times they hit horses in the last 100 metres of a race as long as they were in contention.

Under the rule brought in on August 1, riders are restricted in the number of times they can use the whip inside the final 200 metres.

Along with the new rule, the ARB introduced padded whips to lessen the impact on horses.

The ARB said it would not review the rule until February as originally scheduled.

Speaking on behalf of jockeys at Ballarat, three-time Melbourne Cup winner Glen Boss said they had no alternative.

"The owners' associations, the trainers' association, the breeding association, everyone in the industry are supporting the jockeys. Unfortunately we've been pushed into a corner and we've had to react," Boss told TVN.

"We certainly didn't want it to come to this but as a jockeys' association we have got to show our strength.

"This is a rule that's been placed upon us which we rejected from the get-go.

"We've tried to go to the ARB to explain the situation that we just need to tweak. We're not asking for a lot. We are asking for 100 metres where we can do our best and we've got the support of everyone in the industry."

Not everyone agreed with the decision to call the meetings off, with owner Lloyd Williams supportive of the cause but critical of the industrial action.

"They are in a private enterprise sector and withdrawing their services is not something I agree with," Williams said. "I do agree with them in terms of changing the rules."

AJC chief executive Paul Innes said riders were risking their safety by concentrating on the number of times they were hitting horses in a tight finish rather than winning the race.

He said it was incumbent on the ARB to recognise the problem.

"The state branches will consult with riders around the nation and the AJA will meet with other industry stakeholders including trainers, owners, breeders and bookmakers with a view to making a combined response to the ARB by Monday," Innes said.

Leading Sydney jockey Corey Brown has been the hardest hit so far.

He has incurred a 15-meeting suspension for infringements in two races at Wyong in which he finished second last week.

Brown also forfeited his riding fees and prizemoney percentages. Meanwhile, former New Zealand jockey Larry Cassidy believes strike action taken by riders will be supported by owners and trainers.

"Punters aren't happy. They see a horse going to the line that runs second, beaten a head, and think maybe it wasn't fully tested.

"Punters have lost confidence and if punters lose confidence racing can't go on.

"Jockeys don't believe they can ride under the rules now being implemented and they don't believe they are giving horses the best possible chance and that is a rule of racing."

- AAP