RACING authorities have been quick to defend the decision to scrap Australia’s controversial whip protest rule amid claims from critics that there is now an open invitation to jockeys to ‘belt the crap out of horses in big races then cop the consequences’.
Racing Australia has defended its decision, welcomed by many trainers, declaring: “The removal of the whip protest rule will not diminish any whip use deterrent effect having regard to the severe penalties that stewards can impose for flagrant and significant breaches of the whip rules.”
If that is the case Stewards have an open invitation from RA and the opportunity to impose massive penalties and suspensions on those jockeys who have blatant disregard for over-use of the whip, especially in big races. Let’s see if they do!
In a statement last week, Racing Australia announced that its Board had removed the Rule that allows a protest against a race result if a jockey uses the whip too many times.
Only two whip protests have ever been upheld in Australia – one at the Sunshine Coast in 2016 (believe it or not by Queensland’s arguably worst Chief Steward, now based in Cairns) and the other at Flemington in 2022 – and both instances involved breaking a dead-heat finish.
The ‘Ban the Whip’ movement and Animal Liberationists are up in arms at the decision claiming the current rules will not deter jockeys who are prepared to ‘walk the tightrope’ with over-use of the whip in finishes to rich races and face the consequences knowing fines imposed will be little more than a ‘tap on the wrist’.
The last challenge to the whip protest rule occurred recently when the connections of the Grahame Begg runner-up Royal Insignia challenged the ride of Daniel Moor on the Tony Gollan-trained Boomtown Boss when it won the Aurie’s Star by a neck at Flemington. Stewards fined Moor $3,500 and suspended him for 10 meetings which critics claim was an extremely inadequate penalty.
It’s no secret that Stewards won’t be disappointed to see the Rule abolished from October 1 believing that determining a protest for an alleged whip use breach was as RA described it: ‘Largely subjective with any objective component not readily achievable.’
Jockeys are now allowed to use the whip five times before the 100m mark – but not in consecutive strides – and then unlimited from there, the latter being the part that has those supporting the ‘Ban the Whip campaign’ most upset. The animal liberationists of course don’t want to see it used at all.
