RACING:THE REPERCUSSIONS of British racing's whip problems now appear to have stretched to within the riding ranks with divisions becoming so apparent last night that the Professional Jockeys Association issued a statement urging its members not to strike.
Earlier several senior jockeys expressed unease about the response of the PJA to alterations brought by the British Horseracing Authority’s review group to the controversial new whip rules that have created such disruption to racing in Britain in the last couple of weeks.
The review group’s findings had been given a guarded welcome in the morning, so much so that Richard Hughes returned to race-riding at Newbury, eight days after handing in his licence in protest at the new whip policy. But hopes that the BHA move had headed off the threat of strike action proved unfounded.
Reports of behind-closed-doors votes at Newbury and Doncaster yesterday indicated widespread support from jockeys for strike action next week. The depth of those concerns became apparent when former champion Jamie Spencer said he was disappointed “with a lot of the guys that have taken it all lying down”. Spencer said he wanted greater unity among riders to force the BHA to address their concerns.
“I think history is repeating itself, like on every other issue,” Spencer said. “We’re weak, with no strength behind us and everybody waves the flag too easy. French jockeys stick together, the Australians stuck together over the whip and this is why we’re probably racing for peanuts everyday of the week. We never put a fight up for anything, we take everything lying down.”
He added: “Nobody is bothered about the seven strikes, it’s just the penalties, they don’t add up. I don’t think it will affect the Flat jockeys as much as it will the jump guys. The whole thing for me is a shambles.”
Group One-winning jockey Steve Drowne also said he believed there remains the possibility of strike action. “No one’s happy about the new rules, but it depends upon the grade of unhappiness. We’ll have a meeting and judge the mood,” he said.
Current title holder Paul Hanagan hopes there is still room for manoeuvre over penalties. He said: “I was made up they did away with the five hits inside the final furlong and gave us our riding fee back, but I still think the severity of a five-day ban is too much.”
The PJA responded last night with a statement that said: “The board of directors of the Professional Jockeys Association tonight called on jockeys to carry on riding as normal despite concerns about the new whip rules.”
It added: “Leading jockeys, including Frankie Dettori, AP McCoy and Andrew Thornton, will be sending a strong message to their colleagues at fixtures on Saturday and Sunday that any form of protest involving not riding would be counterproductive.”
PJA chief executive Kevin Darley added: “The PJA is advising its members to work within the rules. We are not happy with aspects of those rules, but we will work with the British Horseracing Authority on the issues that concern us.”
Jockeys have struggled to come to terms with the guidelines since their introduction, which allow no more than seven hits in a Flat race and eight over jumps.
While that number remains the same, the BHA have scrapped the rule which state jockeys are allowed to use their whip no more than five times inside the final furlong, or after the final obstacle in National Hunt races.
