After all the debate last week it seems to have gone largely unnoticed that the meeting between the BHA and PJA too place today. Here the coverage on sporting life: http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/.../11/10/17/RACING_Whip_Substitute.html&BID=465 In summary no outcome but the PJA have put their case to the BHA who will now go away and think about it. Jockeys in attendance were Richard Hughes, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and AP McCoy. Kevin Darley: "We will now await the BHA coming back to us. We can then see where we stand because the jockeys as a group will have to find the rules workable." Lets hope the BHA have listened to, and undersoood the jockey's input and a sensible way forward can be found for the good of the sport.
John Gosden looks like the teacher on a school trip! I think the solution is fairly straightforward. The final furlong limit is unworkable and the penalties are too severe. I don't think anybody has a problem with the actual number, certainly not me. Soumillon losing over 50k for one hit when it is very difficult for him to know where the furlong pole is strikes me as a little excessive!
What remains to be seen in how workable the limit is in NH races, 4m slogs in soft ground that take 9 mins to run and you're on a wrong un that wants to run out every time they pass the parade ring, your 8 could be up by the time before you get to the business end....
They need be really big about this and cancel all suspensions and fines from last week. They need state that for the rest of October everyone breaking the rule will be notified, whilst from the 1st November penalties will be handed out. my suggestion is 7 smacks in total flat 9 smacks jumps The bhb also to state that any exceptional circumstances can be appealed if the jockey claims certain smacks were corrective. Each jockey allowed 2 warnings which would happen if going one over the quota before attracting bans and fines. The bans to begin at 2 days and rise by 2 days for each subsequant offence with persistent offenders subject to extra penalties. All fines (loss of prize money ) to be donated to the injured jockeys fund and retired racehorse fund. This shows great consideration for the jockeys plight
I'm not sure I necessarily agree that there are problems with the fines. The final furlong limit is not sensible. That should be scrapped. If the jockeys consider the number of hits to not be a problem (although I agree, could be interesting in the very long jumps races...), then they should stick to that limit. Anyone caught out so far should be pardoned if and only if it was due to the final furlong limit. Any of them who simply go over the total deserve what they get - that's not a difficult thing to work out, and having harsh fines is a surefire way of making sure that the rules are followed, and followed soon.
Bluesky - sensible, but I will still question how easy it is to keep count during a lengthy NH race when, for their own safety and for the safety of all horses and jockeys, their concentration would be better utilised in avoiding the many dangers that exist. Worst case scenario, an accident occurs during a race that is linked to or could have been prevented by the new whip rules and owners/trainers/jockeys sue the BHA for failing to ensure adequate safety. I know it's the BHA that we're talking about here but I would have thought that at some point during the last 10 months they would have taken legal advice ? Whatever compromise that comes on Friday will be insufficient, not everyone can be happy with the outcome.....
Grizzly - Thats the point to this new rule i think. Im almost sure that its not had enough thought or time put into it. I know worst case scenarios can be slightly over the top but in the modern world of sue and counter sue the BHA must have talked about the possibilites of some sort of objection and or a cricumstance coming up where they will be put under pressure by owners/trainers/jockeys... I cant think of one rule change in all the sports i watch, and i do like my sports, that has divided the sport to this extent. The BHA must have been expecting some sort of back lash and its just not going to go away from whichever side of the fence you stand... Ths case will continue to rumble on and on...
I also feel that if a Jockey feels he has grounds for appeal to the ban he's appeal should be heard in a similar way to a stewards enquiry at the end of racing, and a decision given there and then. This means that if he needed to use the whip more for safety etc he can raise that at this time and hopefully be given a fair chance to overule the initial ruling that he broke the set rules.
I dont see the whip count being feasible though there has to be something in place. Picture Saturdays race do you think Soumillon would have given the horse another 3 strikes if he believed that was required to win the race? Do you think the owner would/would not recompense him as his ban got the win rather than 2nd place potentially? If the whip ban is to have support then the penalty has to be consistent! The horse is disqualified and placed last though if bookies could continue to pay 1st past the post and official result it would be greatly appreciated!
Agreed, though I will play part devils advocate here and say that the jockeys could and should have voiced their concerns in the appropriate way before the new rules were introduced - I do feel the reactions of Hughes and Soumillon in particular have contributed to the bad publicity. What really stinks for me is how the 'tweets' from AP, Nicholls and a host of media before the new rules came in force were supportive, I am convinced the BHA saw this coming and enlisted the support of influencial people before the furore, now with everyone backtracking and jumping on the bandwagon with negative comments (AP and Nicholls inc) it just doesn't stack up. My guess is that AP was hearing the likes of Bradburne, Choc and others all voicing negative views and his previous positive spin contradicted the 'weighing room' view. It's messy...
The Review Group has got until Friday to try and find some diplomatic way of eating humble pie and admitting that they got it wrong. The whole mess needs rewriting and a bit of common sense needs to be applied. They should rescind all punishments that have been dished out to date. Give Soumillon his £52,000, repeal Hughes’ two bans and see if they can persuade him to resume riding. When they come up with revised rules, there needs to be a cooling off period once they are introduced where jockeys get warned and names noted. Offences after the rules become cast in stone will take into account previously noted warnings.
